I write today's headline with my tongue firmly planted in-cheek, but seriously: just because the Rays refused to compensate St. Petersburg for the final year they'd ditch out on their Tropicana Field contract doesn't mean the contract all of a sudden now expires in 2026.
Remember, if the Rays leave St. Pete at the start of 2020 as some have speculated, there would still be EIGHT seasons left on the deal they signed; not SEVEN, as most of my Tampa Bay media counterparts seem to believe (I'm not naming names because I like all of you).
For that reason, the counteroffer the city just sent the Rays for the right to explore stadium sites in Hillsborough County would be worth $37 million if the team is gone by 2020, not the $33 million figure that's been repeated infinite times in the last few weeks. That's $4 million for each of the eight seasons the team leaves early, plus a one-time $5 million redevelopment fee.
Did my counterparts fail to read the documents? Or just do the math involved? I first explained this two weeks ago, but apparently it needs repeating.
READ: The math on St. Pete's three proposed Rays plans
So Kennedy's plan, which serves as the new high-water-mark in negotiations, would still only cost the Rays an average of $4.6 million per year. For those of you counting at home, that's less than they paid David DeJesus or Grant Balfour in 2015.
The deal, just rejected by the Rays, also seems to be an incredible bargain that seems to give them exactly what they've been begging for since 2010: the right to look at stadium sites in Hillsborough County.
That $4.6 million per year is a fraction of the $6.7 million per year ($9M/yr in 2015 dollars) the Lions paid to Pontiac for leaving the Silverdome four years early....
It's a fraction of the $22.5 million per year ($25M/yr in 2015 dollars) the Sonics paid to leave Seattle two years early...
And it's a fraction of the $19 million per year ($20.5M/yr in 2015 dollars) the Tampa Bay Times once suggested the Rays should pay for the right to end its Trop contract early.
Maybe the Rays don't want to explore stadium sites in Hillsborough County all that badly?
Bottom line for my media counterparts: read the documents. Do the math. And while we're at it, the Rays don't have a "lease"; they have a "use agreement."
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"Maybe the Rays don't want to explore stadium sites in Hillsborough County all that badly?"
ReplyDeleteThat, or they think they should be allowed to explore stadium sites in Hillsborough County for free.
Another dumb comment by Noah: "For those of you counting at home, that's less than they paid David DeJesus or Grant Balfour in 2015."
ReplyDeleteWhy do lame reporters try to make that comparison? How is it even valid?
Anyone ever thought of the fact that maybe the Rays don't want to move to Tampa, as they realize that the market is just as "non-viable" as St. Pete? $33M, $37M, it's all semantics. Are you really that naive that you don't think that the Rays have been looking at sites in downtown Tampa this entire time? My guess is they probably just want out of the region. Period. If they thought it was viable, then of course they'd write the cheque. They obviously don't think it is. Not rocket science.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It's not complicated. Rays want out of Florida. That's it. That's all.
DeleteNoah, when you say "Remember, if the Rays leave St. Pete at the start of 2020 as some have speculated,..." any credible sources to this?
The only place that this can happen is if the Rays move to Montreal. There's no plan, no site, no money, and no dialog going on in St Pete for anything to happen other than the status quo.
The Rays don't want out of Florida or the Tampa market. A new stadium is in the works. There won't be a team in Montreal anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteWow! A new stadium is in the works, that's great! Details please...
DeleteNoah, do you know this?
AnnoyingMouse... We await this wonderful news announcement.
DeleteCity Council elections tomorrow, World Series over - NOW is the time for such great news.
A new stadium across the Bay, previously forbidden land, for the Rays... A new stadium where attendance figures won't matter nor will the traffic getting to and from. A departure fee that will make sense for the Rays and a monster TV contract. Such great news.
So, will any of the 5 Rays fans on this site living in St Pete head out and vote tomorrow?
ReplyDelete