It appears that the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox top minor league farm team, is getting closer to announcing a proposed deal to leave the Rhode Island city that has been the team’s home since the 1970s for a new stadium to be built in Worcester.

A source close to the team who communicated with Rhode Island Public Radio on the condition of anonymity said an announcement of a financial offer for a new stadium in Worcester would be made Friday.

In Worcester, business owners expressed excitement and some trepidation about luring the PawSox to become the WooSox. Callum Borchers reports.

The move doesn’t come as a surprise because the Rhode Island General Assembly considered legislation to help the team finance a new stadium in downtown Pawtucket over several years, but never came up with a financing formula the team could agree to.

The team’s ownership expressed frustration with what seemed like never-ending negotiations with Rhode Island lawmakers over terms of a state subsidy for construction of a new stadium. The deal had support from business and labor leaders, but Statehouse Republicans and House Speaker Nick Mattiello, a Cranston Democrat were roadblocks. Mattiello represents a conservative Cranston district.

Scott MacKay retired in December, 2020.With a B.A. in political science and history from the University of Vermont and a wealth of knowledge of local politics, it was a given that Scott MacKay would become...