Joe Maddon leaving the Rays for the Cubs

[AlbionHero]

So realistically, what does this mean for the Rays? They lost two of the best minds in baseball and they were the main reason they could be so successful with such a limited payroll. Do the Rays go back to being another crappy low payroll franchise now?

[ExileAngelos]

Hopefully the franchise gets relocated within the next 10-15 years.

A third New York team makes a lot of sense in my opinion.

[notyourbuddy]

Maybe this will start the franchise down a path of destruction and relocation becomes a necessity. Pack it up -- move 'em out!

[SilentJames]

A third New York team makes a lot of sense in my opinion.

A team in Brooklyn would be very interesting.

[NashLumber]

The Tampa Bay area and the Triangle should just swap teams. Or, better yet, just make the Durham Bulls a MLB team and put the Rays in AAA. (When I started typing I thought I was joking... not so sure anymore.)

I have been not so secretly dreaming of such a scenario for years.

[mdbdotcom]

So realistically, what does this mean for the Rays? They lost two of the best minds in baseball and they were the main reason they could be so successful with such a limited payroll. Do the Rays go back to being another crappy low payroll franchise now?

Their farm system hasn't been the same since they became competitive in 2008. Not getting one of the top picks has their herd a lot thinner. In recent years, most of their players have come from other teams.

[Tony-OH]

The Rays need out of Tampa/St Pete. The area is just to transient to support enough of a local following. Honestly, I'd be happy to see it move anywhere where they will build a nice outdoor stadium.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

Are the Twins the only MLB team looking for a manager right now? Do you think the Twins would want him? I would think he would be a perfect fit for a rebuilding team like Minnesota.

[mdbdotcom]

The Rays need out of Tampa/St Pete. The area is just to transient to support enough of a local following. Honestly, I'd be happy to see it move anywhere where they will build a nice outdoor stadium.

I think the problem has more to do with the fact that a lot of people here earn a fair part of their livelihood thanks to spring training for other teams. They aren't Pirates, Yankees, and Blue Jays fans in the spring and then Rays fans in the summer.

[Ohfan67]

MLB and the Tampa organization were idiots for agreeing to the super long-term lease with the horrible stadium. That was dumb, dumb, dumb. Some of Tampa's problems are totally self inflicted as a result of the lease.

[oriole]

Ouch, this has got to be hard on the Rays fan.

[Fiver]

Are the Twins the only MLB team looking for a manager right now? Do you think the Twins would want him? I would think he would be a perfect fit for a rebuilding team like Minnesota.

I don't think he opts out of Tampa just to go to another small market team.

I wouldn't be resting too easy if I was Mattingly though. That's for sure.

[Olson30]

Ouch, this has got to be hard on the Rays fan.

Is there such a thing as Rays fans?

[stomperspc]

Are the Twins the only MLB team looking for a manager right now? Do you think the Twins would want him? I would think he would be a perfect fit for a rebuilding team like Minnesota.

There are certainly teams with managers under contracts who would be willing to make room for Maddon.

[Jagwar]

If they stay in St. Pete.

Send them to Brooklyn. Heck, we'll take them here in CT!