Lost in reports this week that Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski has agreed to pay $1.7 billion for the Tampa Bay Rays is an extraordinary premise. Zalupski is paying more than eight times what the previous owner paid for the club despite not knowing where the Rays will play home games.

The Athletic also reports: "Zalupski is expected to keep the team in the Tampa Bay area, with a strong preference to be in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg, the source said." Sternberg, who originally took control of the team in 2005,

A Jacksonville group led by billionaire Patrick Zalupski have agreed to buy the Rays for an estimated price of $1.7 billion, according to The Athletic. The deal is expected to be finalized by September after negotiations took place over the past weeks. The Rays' principal owner, Stu Sternberg, bought the franchise in 2004 for $200 million.