Rays Deal Paves Way for Team's Move Out of St. Pete

The city of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement that enables the team to search for new stadium sites in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

If the team does move out of Tropicana Field, it will have to pay the city $4 million a season through December 2018, WFLA reported. Those payments would drop to $3 million a season between 2019 and 2022 and $2 million a season between 2023 to 2026, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The team has an agreement in place that requires play at Tropicana Field through 2027.

Despite that agreement, the Rays have been eyeing other possible stadium sites for some time. Speculation has run high the baseball team might move into Hillsborough County. Officials there even recently named a point organization to facilitate talks.

A battle with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on one side and Hillsborough County on the other has been heating up for more than a year. While the Rays are contractually obligated to play at Tropicana Field through 2027, Major League Baseball has made it clear a new stadium is needed.

The Rays and St. Petersburg had been in talks for quite a while to brainstorm a solution that would put the team in better standing while also making sure St. Pete doesn’t face a major loss financially. With attendance at Tropicana Field dismal in 2014, the need to act fast is evident, the Tampa Bay Times pointed out.

The city of St. Petersburg announced the proposed agreement Monday. The city council is expected to vote on the proposal Thursday, the Times reported.

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See Also:

• St. Pete, Rays Close to Stadium Deal?
• Battle of the Bay: Where Do You Think the Rays Should Play?
• Tampa Bay Rays: Should St. Pete Let Go?
• Tampa By Rays Need New Stadium, MLB Says