Rays’ owner Stu Sternberg publicly revealed recently that the team’s top five regional stadium sites were no longer under consideration for various reasons. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman took the news well. That’s because he sees Sternberg’s announcement as a de facto reaffirmation that the Trop site is now the leader in the clubhouse.
In a marketplace that is so asymmetrical, so corporate-headquarters challenged and so populated with those of non-Tampa Bay allegiances, the variables that matter most in retaining the Rays are spot-on, centrally-located stadium site and modern facility as well as meaningful mass transportation.
The reality is this. If the Trop site is seen as a favorite and rail-less transit remains status quo, the franchise-relo folks in Montreal are even more pleased than Kriseman.