The problem with the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal has always been clear: the city and county leaders gave the team an offer they couldn’t refuse, and despite the Rays’ public complaints and apparent threats, the deal still remains in place. In fact, the recent approval of the deal only reinforces how outplayed the local government has been.
I’ve heard from several reliable sources that, after the Rays made their public comments suggesting they could walk away from the deal, the city had a chance to send a firm message. A letter could have been sent to the Rays to let them know that their comments had effectively cancelled the agreement, giving the city a chance to walk away from what many are calling the worst stadium and development deal in history.
But instead of taking that opportunity, local leaders played right back into the Rays’ hands. They approved the deal again, hoping the Rays would be persuaded to stay or that the team might “back out” for some reason. Frankly, I’d be shocked if the Rays walk away now—not with this lucrative real estate deal that will provide millions of dollars a year for the next 30 years. There’s simply no way they’ll get a better offer anywhere else.
So, what’s really going on here? The Rays have once again manipulated the situation, claiming they can’t afford to fulfill their part of the deal due to cost overruns. It’s the same old playbook, and city and county leaders fell for it again, despite knowing full well that this stadium development is designed to generate massive profits for years to come.
If only the city and county had taken the Rays’ public comments seriously and chose to terminate the deal at that moment, they could have explored alternative options that might have actually benefited the community—rather than digging further into an agreement that seems to benefit only the Rays.
The real tragedy here is that the power dynamics between local leaders and the Rays are so tilted that it feels like no matter what happens, the city and county will always lose. The question is, how much longer will they let the team take advantage of the situation before they stop playing along?
