The Return of the Expos

[BringerofRain20]

BASEBALL IS BACK IN MONTREAL

It was announced today that successful bids and season ticket drives during the 2017 season by Montreal ownership group CH Group Ltd. who currently own the iconic hockey club the Montreal Canadiens and a private investors group in Portland have convinced the MLB head office that the two cities are worthy of expansion. Baseball will be back in Montreal and for the first time in Portland in the spring of 2019.

Montreal, a baseball starved city since they left the league in 2005 will recapture the name the Montreal Expos and be led by young Canadian general manager from Toronto Gio Lucc on their quest for that illusive World Series ring they never managed captured their first time around (they should have in 1994 *cough* *cough*). Portland will take on the name "Bombers" as voted by a fan poll in the city and look to capture the imagination of baseball fans who have long awaited a team in the city.

The league office has told Montreal that they must renovate historic Olympique Stadium in order to meet with league standard. The deadline is November 2018 prior to the Expansion draft. Montreal is already in the process of selling the naming rights of the stadium as part of its overhaul. We will have more on the stadium once renovations start.

The 2018 season is about to begin and we will continue to follow Montreal as it builds its organization and front office leading up to the 2018 Expansion draft in the winter.

[rpriske]

Following.

[BringerofRain20]

Scotiabank wins rights to Olympic Stadium
March 20th, 2018

As the MLB regular season around the corner and the 30 current MLB teams are in preparation for a 162 game grind, news out of Montreal took center stage today as they announced that the post-renovations Olympic Stadium will be called Scotiabank Stadium when the Expos fly north from spring training in April of 2019.

Molson, Bank of Montreal, and CN Railroad were all in on the bidding war for naming rights but Scotiabank, who seems to now have ownership of about every sporting venue in Canada will add Olympic Stadium to the list.

A joint cheque issued by CH Group Ltd., the city of Montreal, and Scotiabank has officially marked the beginning of renovation at the stadium. A person close to the team says, "the dimensions will stay the same but a retractable roof, new dressing rooms, a bunch of new electronic features (including a jumbotron), and about a 5,000 seat expansion for football and baseball games will be the headline of the upcoming renovations.". It is rumored with the retractable roof that a real dirt infield will also be added to the stadium.

Montreal will now turn to the waiting game as they await newly renovated Olympi- I mean Scotiabank Stadium and the offseason where they will build their inaugural season roster.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by rpriske

Following.

Same.

[BringerofRain20]

Expos Pick Squad for Inagural Season

A few weeks following the Cleveland Indians putting an end to a long postseason drought, it was time Portland and Montreal put their teams center stage.

Expansion draft day started when the Expos announced that former D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson would be taking the managerial duties in the first season while he will be mentored by bench coach and 91’ Expos manager Tom Runnells. The Expos then got to work picking their first 35 players in franchise history. Here’s a breakdown

STARTING PITCHERS

#19 SP Mark Armstrong
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 24
Overall/Potential: 0.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (A) 26 GS, 11-9, 5.64 ERA, 1.45 WHIP

#16 SP Ben Bracewell
Selected From: Oakland Athletics
Age: 28
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 23 GS, 8-9, 4.61 ERA, 1.46 WHIP

#60 SP Carlos Carrasco
Selected From: Cleveland Indians
Age: 31
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 26 GS, 4-9, 5.76 ERA, 1.58 WHIP

#30 SP Erick Julio
Selected From: Colorado Rockies
Age: 22
Overall/Potential: 0.5 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (A+) 8 GS, 1-4, 7.02 ERA, 1.86 WHIP

#48 SP Ivan Nova
Selected From: Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 31
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 32 GS, 10-8, 3.68 ERA, 1.31 WHIP

#33 SP Brett Oberholtzer
Selected From: Chicago Cubs
Age: 29
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (LMB) 24 GS, 7-10, 4.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

#61 SP Andrew Triggs
Selected From: Oakland Athletics
Age: 29
Overall/Potential: 2.5 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 33 GS, 13-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.16 WHIP

RELIEF PITCHERS

#35 RP Cam Bedrosian
Selected From: Los Angeles Angels
Age: 27
Overall/Potential: 3 Stars (3.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 66 G, 7-2, 4.41 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 11.1 K/9

#69 RP Dellin Betances
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 30
Overall/Potential: 4 Stars (4 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 64 G, 2-1, 2.99 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 14.7 K/9

#28 RP John Curtiss
Selected From: Minnesota Twins
Age: 25
Overall/Potential: 3 Stars (3.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 68 G, 4-6, 4.06 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 12.0 K/9

#62 RP Jandel Gustave
Selected From: Houston Astros
Age: 26
Overall/Potential: 2.5 Stars (3.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 7 G, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 14.5 K/9

#79 RP Joe Jimenez
Selected From: Detroit Tigers
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 3 Stars (4 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 63 G, 4-5, 4.09 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 10.0 K/9

#94 RP Rowan Wick CA
Selected From: San Diego Padres
Age: 26
Overall/Potential: 3 Stars (4 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 60 G, 0-3, 4.52 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 10.8 K/9

#47 CL Kyle Barraclough
Selected From: Miami Marlins
Age: 28
Overall/Potential: 3.5 Stars (4 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 62 G, 5-5, 3.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 12.1 K/9

POSITION PLAYERS

#14 C Danny Jansen
Selected From: Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 13 G, .156 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 9 SO

#78 C Reese McGuire
Selected From: Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AA) 101 G, .243 AVG, 6 HR, 51 RBIs, 44 SO

#18 1B Yonder Alonso (2018 WS MVP)
Selected From: Cleveland Indians
Age: 31
Overall/Potential: 3 Stars (3 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 161 G, .248 AVG, 28 HR, 98 RBIs, 161 SO

#27 1B Tyler Austin
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 27
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (1.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 123 G, .270 AVG, 30 HR, 98 RBIs, 134 SO

#6 1B Mike Ford
Selected From: Seattle Mariners
Age: 26
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 129 G, .261 AVG, 24 HR, 81 RBIs, 87 SO

#24 1B A.J. Reed
Selected From: Houston Astros
Age: 25
Overall/Potential: 2 Star (2.5 Star)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 117 G, .279 AVG, 36 HR, 89 RBIs, 133 SO

#23 1B Rowdy Tellez
Selected From: Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 133 G, .315 AVG, 24 HR, 115 RBIs, 108 SO

#21 2B Carlos Asuaje
Selected From: San Diego Padres
Age: 27
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 87 G, .236 AVG, 0 HR, 22 RBIs, 40 SO

#7 2B Isan Diaz
Selected From: Miami Marlins
Age: 22
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (3 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AA) 107 G, .235 AVG, 13 HR, 48 RBIs, 102 SO

#91 2B Thairo Estrada
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 22
Overall/Potential: 1 Star (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 68 G, .307 AVG, 7 HR, 34 RBIs, 37 SO

#68 3B Miguel Andujar
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 2 Star (2.5 Star)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 133 G, .294 AVG, 23 HR, 86 RBIs, 76 SO

#12 3B Travis Demeritte
Selected From: Atlanta Braves
Age: 24
Overall/Potential: 1 Star (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 107 G, .250 AVG, 22 HR, 67 RBIs, 129 SO

#20 SS Ehire Adrianza
Selected From: Minnesota Twins
Age: 29
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 105 G, .233 AVG, 3 HR, 19 RBIs, 10 SO

#41 SS Sergio Alcantara
Selected From: Detroit Tigers
Age: 22
Overall/Potential: 1 Star (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (A+) 88 G, .318 AVG, 4 HR, 33 RBIs, 41 SO

#17 LF Ben Gamel
Selected From: Seattle Mariners
Age: 26
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 137 G, .263 AVG, 7 HR, 42 RBIs, 111 SO

#53 LF Jordan Luplow
Selected From: Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 25
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 69 G, .333 AVG, 13 HR, 47 RBIs, 46 SO

#25 LF Dalton Pompey CA
Selected From: Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 25
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 108 G, .280 AVG, 11 HR, 45 RBIs, 98 SO

#12 CF Dustin Fowler
Selected From: Oakland Athletics
Age: 23
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 131 G, .311 AVG, 34 HR, 117 RBIs, 102 SO

#72 RF Billy McKinney
Selected From: New York Yankees
Age: 24
Overall/Potential: 1.5 Stars (2.5 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (AAA) 130 G, .303 AVG, 18 HR, 71 RBIs, 82 SO

#34 RF Brett Phillips
Selected From: Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 24
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 114 G, .231 AVG, 9 HR, 31 RBIs, 81 SO

#73 RF Cesar Puello
Selected From: Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 27
Overall/Potential: 2 Stars (2 Stars)
2018 Stat Line: (MLB) 122 G, .273 AVG, 14 HR, 48 RBIs, 84 SO

The team looks filled with players who could turn at as solid major league talents. Only time will tell how many of them help Montreal on their way to baseball glory.

[Lee]

This will be fun, can't believe you got both Betances and Andujar from the Yankees. Looking for both to be key players for you. Alonso should have a few good years left too!

[BringerofRain20]

Montreal Stays Quiet Through The Winter

The first offseason has came and went for the Expos. With big name teams bringing home big name players like Manny Machado heading to the Boston Red Sox or Andrew McCutchen heading to the high altitude in Colorado. Montreal stayed relatively quiet already having their hands tied with big contracts like that of big man reliever Dellin Betances and World Series MVP Yonder Alonso.

They did however strike a trade early in the offseason, acquiring prospects SP Lane Flamm (18), SS Trey Dawson (22), SP Ryan Atkinson (25), and 2B Jancarlos Cintron (24) from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RP Cam Bedrosian and LF Ben Gamel.

It was all minor moves to improve the teams depth from there as the Expos drafted RP Aaron Barnett in the rule-5 draft, picking him from 2018 WS finalists the Washington Nationals. Then signing free agent RP Tristan Archer to a minor league deal and doing the same with LF Dustin Ackley. Lucc finished his offseason moves by claiming Mets reliever Robert Gsellman.

Montreal heads into spring with a full 40-man roster built and will look for the hardest working men to fill their roster when they head up from the spring training facilities on April 4th.

[BringerofRain20]

Spring Finished, Expos Head North For Opener at Scotiabank Stadium

The Montreal Expos fought hard in the spring time. Finishing with a 14-16 record, good enough for third in the division. They will now head to newly renovated Scotiabank Stadium for their home opener against the Giants as they get set to battle it out in the NL East division for the first time in 14 years. They also announced their 25 man roster they will be going to battle with on opening day:

STARTING PITCHERS
Carlos Carrasco
Andrew Triggs
Brett Oberholtzer
Ivan Nova
Ben Bracewell

RELIEF PITCHERS
Dellin Betances
Kyle Barraclough
Aaron Barrett
Rowan Wick
John Curtiss
Jandel Gustave
Joe Jimenez

CATCHERS
Danny Jansen
Reece McGuire

FIRST BASEMAN
Yonder Alonso
Mike Ford

SECOND BASEMAN
Isan Diaz
Thairo Estrada

THIRD BASEMAN
Miguel Andujar

SHORTSTOP
Ehire Adrianza
Sergio Alcantara

OUTFIELD
LF Jordan Luplow
LF Dustin Ackley
CF Dustin Fowler
RF Cesar Puello

[BringerofRain20]

Expos Win Opener In Night of Firsts at Scotiabank Stadium

A ruckus 50,000 plus crowd filled the seats of old Olympic Stadium on a night that was supposed to bring joy to Montreal fans who could pass on to their kids the experience of watching the hometown Expos battle it out at the Stadium-formerly-known-as-the-Big-O. It turned out to be a whole lot more than that as the Expos took down Madison Bumgarner and his San Francisco Giants in their first game ever.

It started in the bottom of the first when right fielder Cesar Puello picked up the first hit in franchise history for the Expos. The team would end up stranding him but Triggs would be able to keep the game in a deadlock before Montreal broke the ice in the 5th.

Luplow picked up the first big fly in franchise history. He smacked one of the left field wall off of MadBum to make it 1-0 Expos.

Andrew Triggs would help his own cause in the same inning as he picked up a 2-out RBI to make it 2-0.

Things would then be put over the bullpen, which looks to be one of the leagues best if the Expos can get it there with the lead every night.

Jimenez and Barraclough had crisp clean innings combining to strike out 3 of the 6 batters they faced well keeping their pitch counts well under 20.

In the 9th Betances came in and showed off his power. Striking out the first two batters before getting into a bit of trouble. The final out would land in the mitt of the games hero: Jordan Luplow to lock down Betances' first save for the franchise and Triggs' first win of the same importance.

Things may not be a Cinderella story in Montreal for the first while, as it never is with expansion cities but, it is moments like this opening night that makes the pain bearable.

[BringerofRain20]

Expos Beat Out April With Record Above .500

It was a strange April for the new Montreal Expos who opened their season with an opening day shutout and then followed up with a Mike Ford walk off home run. It was up and down from their though as they battled to stay above .500 with pitching at the forefront of most of their struggles. The numbers suggest the Expos shouldn't be where they are but they'll take it. A 13-12 April has set Montreal up with a good foundation to build some wins on and maybe just keep in this hunt through May. The pitching will surely have to improve, good thing there is lots of time to turn it around.

April Report

[ashantewarrier]

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