The Tampa Bay Rays‘ season ended yesterday, so it’s probably about time for more rumors about them moving across the bay:
County Commissioner Ken Hagan said he will ask his fellow board members Wednesday to designate the Tampa Sports Authority as the agency that will deal with the Rays should St. Petersburg let the team look at stadium sites outside Pinellas County.
That’s pretty deep into the subjunctive, there, but Hagan insists that he has reasons to believe that “an agreement is near which would allow the Rays to legally speak and meet … about a new stadium,” mostly that St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has indicated he may be open to the idea. Though Kriseman immediately called Hagan’s proposal “premature” and “problematic,” so this is probably just Hagan being Hagan.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik has assembled land around his team’s arena and is trying to build one of those mixed-use urban districts that are all the rage — fortunately, without asking for city money, at least. Still, people are now wondering whether this will be a good thing or a bad things for any plans to move the Rays. And then there’s Hagan, who just warns that it’s a sign that eventually “we’re going to reach a point where we’re past the point of no return” on a Rays stadium. When the hurry-up offense works for you, might as well go with what you’re comfortable with.