Quote:
Originally Posted by RchW
Many (most) players don't live in their hometown anyway. Most established players keep a home or condo in or near ST in FL and/or AZ and will often have to sell it if traded to a team where it isn't conveniently located. I saw an interview with Billy Butler where he said his permanent home was near Phoenix and that the A's facility is much closer than was the Royals facility in Surprise AZ.
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Well-said, but more importantly: plenty of people (including me) have absolutely no interest in setting foot in, much less living in or near, their hometown again. I can imagine there are players from tropical countries that don't like heat, and players from the northeast and Canada that like nothing better than living all year in Arizona or Florida.
I think for big free agents the more important concern is the state income tax burden of their team's hometown. There are significant benefits to playing for the Mariners, Rangers/Astros, or Marlins/Rays, and even Diamondbacks. Playing for the Mariners instead of a California team is a 13% pay boost on the salary attributable to home games.