Could the Blue Jays Really Leave Dunedin?

There's a chance the Toronto Blue Jays, spring visitors in Dunedin since 1977, could soon be leaving town for good.

The Major League Baseball club has hinted that it's considering relocating its spring training facilities across the state to Palm Beach Gardens, to share a stadium there with the Houston Astros once the team's lease with Dunedin expires in 2017.

City leaders have been working on a plan to keep the Blue Jays here, TBO.com reports, where they can be in close proximity with other MLB teams that spend their spring in the Tampa Bay area.

But the team's practice facilities in Dunedin remain separated from Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, where the Blue Jays play their spring games. Most major league clubs have an integrated stadium and practice complex at their spring homes.

To get around that problem, one Pinellas County commissioner has even tossed out the idea of the Blue Jays relocating to Clearwater, where they could share a stadium with the Philadelphia Phillies and the surrounding practice fields could be expanded, Tampabay.com reports.

City commissioner Julie Ward-Bujalski said the team needs to seek input from residents and other local stakeholders to drum up unified support for a possible new Blue Jays spring stadium in Dunedin. TBO.com recently quoted her as saying:

“The Blue Jays are not just a Dunedin issue. They’re not just a spring training issue. So it’s important that we get that stakeholder buy-in.”

So what do you think, Patch readers? Should the Blue Jays stay in Dunedin? Would you be sad to see them go? Would you support a new stadium, or do you have other ideas to solve the issue? 

Post a comment below and join the conversation.

Sign up for the Dunedin Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!