Vancouver is garnering interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks as the franchise’s feud with local officials depends.
Diamondbacks team officials twice toured Vancouver facilities as a contingency plan because of issues with Chase Field’s retractable roof first reported by The Athletic.
Derrick Hall, CEO and President of Diamondbacks address the issues mounting where the Diamondbacks will play with a local radio station Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“Any team that has a dome, in particular in a challenging weather atmosphere, should have at least a backup plan,” Hall told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I mean, if that (Chase Field) roof won’t close in the middle of summer, we can’t play here. Probably, the union wouldn’t allow it, we wouldn’t allow it.”
He continued about the Vancouver visits: “We were very impressed by the city obviously and the stadium. We did go back a second time but that was more for a concert.”
The 22-year-old ballpark came under the Diamondbacks’ control in 2018, after a settlement between the Diamondbacks and Maricopa County over a disputed $187 million in renovations for Chase Field. However, the county is still the teams landlord, owning the stadium.
The Diamondbacks look to immediately improve the facility with small renovations to Chase Field worth $3,172,662.60. The Diamondbacks demanded the $187 million in renovations this year as the team continues to look for a new facility elsewhere. The Las Vegas suburb of Henderson pitched the team to relocate to Nevada.
The Diamondbacks are not the only Major League Baseball franchise exploring the two cities option with a Canadian metropolis. Currently, the Tampa Bay Rays have permission from MLB to pursue a deal to play half of their seasons in Montreal, Canada. St. Petersburg officials blocked talks until the Rays complete their lease at Tropicana Field.
