The primary financial backer for a group attempting to bring an MLB team to Orlando has “joined the group in the process of buying” the Rays, according to J.C. Carnahan of the ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL. Rick Workman, the anchor investor for the Orlando Dreamers, will “own a portion of the Rays once owner Stu Sternberg finalizes the sale of the franchise to Jacksonville-based developer Patrick Zalupski.” Workman will have the “third-largest stake in the team.” It is “unclear what this means for the Dreamers as the group pursues an MLB franchise through either expansion or relocation of an existing team.” The group in April announced it had raised roughly $1.5B for a team. But John Morgan, the other major investor in the Dreamers, in an email said, “I’m out. The fix is in. … I’ll have to find another place to invest 300 Million.” Morgan: “What I believe will now happen is this group will seek a sweetheart deal in Tampa, while stringing the prospects of Orlando as a bargaining chip” (ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/9). Carnahan in a separate piece notes the Dreamers “recently downplayed the Rays-centric component of their effort” at an Aug. 21 St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Dreamers co-founder & COO Jim Schnorf instead “emphasized the goal of landing an expansion team or capitalizing on stadium issues for several other teams including not only the Rays,” but also the White Sox, Royals, Brewers and D-backs (ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/9).
