Even if the Rays wanted to move to Montreal the Big O won’t be available for a while, will it? Doesn’t the roof construction start soon?
Probably net revenue. Apparently they are paying the Yankees 15 million a year to play there.
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Free and Steinbrenner is something I have never seen in the same sentence. Nope, they are not getting free rent at Steinbrenner Field, whatever Hillsborough County will do or not do.
David P. Samson has an excellent review of the situation here, and this was before the anticipated vote that essentially kills this deal for Tampa.
As Samson notes, even before the vote, the owner Sternberg of the Rays knew the deferral on the bonds by Pinellas County, which is really a disguised rejection by Pinellas County, was coming. Samson also discusses the recent political change that makes for more opposition to any such deal.
Essentially, Pinellas County offered Tampa Bay Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg four weeks to go about and save face on his own for the other options as the politicians are trying to spare themselves as being cast as have wielded the axe.
This is also an excellent channel, for Samson is a former MLB executive, has a law degree, and likely still lives in Florida after his time with the Miami Marlins and his role in securing that new stadium deal with groundbreaking in July 2009.
I highly recommend his YouTube channel and podcast, which is not something I typically do because I keep a strict limit on my (free) subscriptions to YouTube channels.
Note that Samson is easily confused with a politician from New Jersey of the same name.
Yes, I saw this too. I do enjoy his takes on this.
Being a former MLB president carries weight with his opinion.
Interesting that he thinks this though as he thought a while back that a deal was going to get done in Oakland when the Vegas deal first got announced.
Interesting times
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Song and dance via MLB for now, aka
“Alright! Please disperse! There is nothing to see here! Please disperse! …”
“We’re committed to the fans in Tampa Bay,” [MLB Commissioner Rob] Manfred said. “Given all that’s happened in that market, we’re focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay right now.”
The team will play home games this year across the bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training ballpark, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
“It’s one thing to make an interim arrangement for 2025, which we’ve done,” Manfred said. “When you get into another year, there’s obviously going to be another interim arrangement unless they get the Trop fixed, and I think that second year of an interim arrangement, you need a plan as to how you’re going to get into a permanent facility.”
Today we learned also that Mr. Manfred is Captain Obvious, but Captain Timbers quipped to me right after reading this at dinner tonight that Manfred is not fit for duty on the high seas! Arrrggh!
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For a team that averages about 14,000 a game, they can move to a city with stable weather.
Or contract them.
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This much I do figure. Either MLB has a plan in place to have this situation in Tampa Bay and the A’s situation fixed for play in the respective new venues by 2029 at the latest,
with even a one year delay far more costly for each of these two teams than for 2028 as has been scheduled for the new facilities,
or I figure Commissioner Manfred’s head rolls if the owners don’t see great progress by Opening Day 2026.
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At this point given other rumblings that include also chatter from Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox wanting to sell the team, a race is on for expansion to Nashville with chatter about for a team in North Carolina.
As MLB wants things now, the A’s in Las Vegas and the Rays stay in St. Pete in Tampa Bay.
BUT, it’s noteworthy that ALL three of these MLB teams have their options open to initiate pursuit of a move elsewhere.
Note as linked commentary and a link to the sneaky out the A’s have to NOT move to Las Vegas, and then in turn the new stadium would be for another team in Las Vegas, for which the State of Nevada worded into the approved legislation as a contingency just in case something happened with the A’s.
Now I’m thinking in 2025 we will hear a whole lot more chatter on these fronts once the A’s and the Rays have started play in temporary facilities and there is some backlash amongst fans as well.
Time will already be ticking away for ambitious plans to stabilize the Rays and the A’s in 2028 before any MLB expansion, which has been the expressed desire of MLB, but wants and wishes and reality you know.
Just shuffling cards here and dealing what comes up randomly. Shuffle anew as you wish.
Nashville White Sox turned Sounds? (buying the rights to the name of the AAA team?)
Las Vegas Rays? (it works!)
Carolina Athletics / A’s? (it works!)
City of St. Petersburg will hold a vote today to repair the roof at Tropicana Field
It should pass which will take some urgency away as the team will have a place to play while the Rays and MLB figure out next steps should the team and county continue to go nowhere.
Meeting start time is 1:30 EST
Will also discuss their share of the bonds for the new stadium.
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Council approves funds to repair the roof
Only by a 4-3 margin. Very surprised it was that close.
Will still need to approve their portion of the bonds for the new stadium plans plus a vote to approve funds to repair the inside of the park. To come later.
Commissioner Manfred says they’ll give politicians time to work things out on the new stadium. Playing good cop to Sternberg’s bad cop.
This file is now less urgent but won’t wait forever
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As long as it’s not my money they’re wasting.
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Now wait until Pinellas County takes their turn again in December.
I am hardly surprised at all that the vote for merely the repairs by the City of St. Petersburg was so close.
The local F. U. Factor is very high after the recent elections.
I figure either the county punts anew into 2025, or they come around suddenly, which usually means somebody got a holiday bonus.
I’d be surprised if Pinellas County outright declined, especially at this time of year, for as the lyrics go for that song go about being “Behind Blue Eyes” and so forth.
This is becoming less certain now
The city has changed course
City backed bonds are delayed too.
After January 9, the new council is sworn in. This adds 2 that are against the deal which passed 4-3.
Looks like in part they’re throwing the ball back in the county’s court on December 17. If they defer again does St. Pete’s still move ahead?
Otherwise there will be no repair to the Trop and now 2 councils that are against the deal.
This is getting ugly fast.
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Now the Rays have proclaimed themselves what was suspected over last weekend.
THIS DEAL IS DEAD. The Rays have no long-term future in Tampa Bay.
The blame game has begun already too along with the post-mortem political pandering.
Back to you, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred you dolt and whatever drivel you were spouting,
like the otherwise well-meaning CFL Forum friend and police legend Lt. Frank Drebin, aka Enrico Palazzo, also an old friend of my Evil Great Uncle Ernesto Blofeld.
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Which one of them is a no good galoot:joy:
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Wants a commitment or a termination letter by the Rays by Sunday.
So what happened if they do neither? It’s the county who’s delaying an answer.
Are they going to walk away themselves? Seems like a whole lot of nothing…but I’ve been mistaken on this saga many times before
Edit: The Rays reply
I think it’s safe to say they’ve had that statement on stand by for weeks now.
At least no one else’s time was wasted lol
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To answer @mahalcflers 's excellent question, these are ALL now no-good galoots.
This is all merely public posturing as each side simply makes new plans and covers their legal bases after any deal to repair and to stay has clearly fallen apart.
A public affirmation of “maintain contact” is most telling as if that is some news or encouragement for such communication, however poor it could be, as otherwise would be obvious and required given the nature of the existing legal agreements.
It’s akin and about as empty in value as any one of us affirming to “stay in touch” with a lender, with whom one might disagree about the amount still owed to the lender and/or the terms of a loan and the agreement. You are both legally bound by a contract beyond the items of disagreement, after all.
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Understandably, there have been a few schedule changes for the Rays and opponents already next season. It’s easy to see that the Rays will be a road team for much of the second half of the season.
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