New London open to host PawSox stadium, no discussions yet
New London — The city would be open to having discussions about hosting the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the mayor said Friday, though no such discussions have taken place.
Red Sox President Larry Lucchino, who is also a co-owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox, said the team will look outside of Rhode Island if it doesn’t get the waterfront land it wants for a new stadium in Providence and an associated deal with the state.
“We haven’t been approached by the Pawtucket Red Sox, nor have we approached them,” Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio said Friday in a statement. “But the city is always willing to meet with potential developers to discuss their needs.”
Lucchino said the ownership group believes there are other places in New England that will have an interest in the Red Sox Triple-A franchise being in their city and that some municipalities have already approached the team, though he declined to say which communities have expressed interest.
The team has said that staying in Pawtucket is not a viable option and is negotiating exclusively with Providence to come up with a deal for a stadium plan there that would be more palatable to taxpayers than the original proposal, which asked for $120 million in state subsidies.
Reporter Colin A. Young contributed to this article.
c.young@theday.com
Twitter: @ColinAYoung
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