In the hours since news broke of the Rays receiving permission from MLB to consider a split-season with Montreal, the powers that be have weighed in from around the Tampa Bay community.
Here’s a collection of their statements.
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman
Kriseman called in to WDAE to discuss the Rays lease agreement (MOU) this morning. Here are the highlights:
- Fees to leave the region, as opposed to St. Petersburg, would increase damages to be owed to the city, as previous costs assumed Rays would remain in the bay area
- Kriseman estimates payment to break the lease to leave Tampa Bay entirely would be “hundreds of millions”
- Owner Stuart Sternberg called Kriseman earlier this year and asked him to consider the proposal, which Kriseman considered and then informed Sternberg he would not support
- Sternberg then called Kriseman yesterday to let him know the story was coming, asking Kriseman to be “open-minded”
- The Rays have not requested permission to discuss a new stadium with Hillsborough County
- The Rays have ruled out building anywhere outside St.