The Rays' plans for 2028 and beyond are back in the air. over the weekend, owner Stuart Sternberg criticized local officials for delaying a bond vote approving public financing to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg's gasworks district. When discussing the situation, Sternberg hinted at the possibility of relocation John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred brought it up at this week's owners' meetings. Asked about the possibility of a move, Manfred said MLB remains “committed to the fans in Tampa Bay” (Link via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com). “I think given everything that's happened in this market, our focus right now is on our franchise in Tampa Bay,” he added.
This partially invalidates Sternberg's threat to move, but the team remains committed to a quick solution. Pinellas County officials met Tuesday afternoon, several days after Sternberg's comments. Ahead of the meeting, Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman wrote a letter to the county saying the delays had already “terminated the ability to deliver the ballpark in 2028” (Link via Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times). Auld and Silverman wrote that implementing the plan in 1929 “would result in significantly increased costs,” but concluded that they “are prepared to work with all willing partners on a new solution to preserve the future of baseball.” .”Tampa Bay.”
This did not trigger any movement in the district. Officials voted to further defer the bonds, pushing them back until at least Dec. 17, he writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Athletic's Sam Blum wrote yesterday that some district officials objected to Sternberg's tactics.
“To be clear, we did not vote to kill the deal, nor should a three-week delay on a 30-plus-year commitment be a deal-killer in the first place,” executive vice president Brian Scott said at the meeting (per Blum) . ). “That’s just a completely ridiculous statement. The delay was not due to a lack of support for the Rays or our partnership. But it was necessary due diligence to ensure the best interests of our residents and our taxpayers were protected.”
In July, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County each approved the stadium deal, which included more than $300 million in public funds for a $1.3 billion project. However, there was no official vote on the bonds at this point and the deal began to falter in recent weeks. Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the area incredibly hard. Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field, rendering it unplayable for at least the 2025 season. The city has not yet announced whether it will approve the approximately $55.7 million in repair costs needed to get the Trop to operational condition by March 26. The November elections also changed the composition of the district council.
The Rays will play at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa next season. Manfred suggested that the end of 2025 could serve as an unofficial deadline for implementing a long-term plan. “It is one thing to make a transitional arrangement for 2025, which we have done,” the commissioner explained. “When next year begins, there will of course be another interim agreement unless the Trop is repaired. I think in the second year of a transitional agreement you need a plan for how to get into a permanent facility.”
