St. Pete Council Rejects Rays Deal

The Tampa Bay Rays have to continue playing at Tropicana Field – for now.

That’s the word out of the St. Petersburg City Council Thursday evening. The council voted 5-3 against Mayor Rick Kriseman’s proposed deal with the team, according to The Tampa Tribune.

Those against the proposal that would have allowed the team to buy itself out of a contract that requires it to play at Tropicana Field through 2027 cited concerns about the potential financial loss to the city should the team pull out, the Tampa Bay Times and Tribune reported.

Had the deal been approved and the Rays moved out of Tropicana Field, the team would have had to pay the city $4 million a season through December 2018. Those payments would have dropped to $3 million a season between 2019 and 2022 and $2 million a season between 2023 to 2026.

Despite the team’s agreement, it has 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. Major League Baseball has also made it clear a new stadium is needed.

It is unclear what move the Rays or the city will take next.

Do you think rejecting the deal was the right move? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

See Also:

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

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