Rays negotiating to explore alternate stadium sites

BOSTON -- According to a story in Thursday's Tampa Tribune, Rays officials and St. Petersburg City attorneys have been meeting to negotiate an agreement that would allow the team to explore other possible stadium sites outside St. Petersburg.

Per the report, the most recent meeting took place on Wednesday.

St. Petersburg City Council Chairman Karl Nurse told the Tribune that the proposal being discussed would free the Rays to explore possible sites in Tampa and Hillsborough County after first conducting an extensive review of a proposed site in the Carillon area. Any agreement reached would also restate that the Rays are under contract to play at Tropicana Field through 2027.

"It seemed to me, in very short order, that there was conceptual agreement as to where we were trying to go," said Nurse, as quoted in the story. "Maybe there would be some money that would change hands; I don't think that is the critical element."

Principal owner Stuart Sternberg spoke to reporters in Boston on Tuesday, allowing that the Rays would like to do what they think is necessary "to at least see what's out there."