Interestingly, From an analytical standpoint, SportsMoneyTampa Bay Rays Find New Owner But Still Battle Old blemsByDan Schlossberg, Contributor.
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Furthermore, Dan has written 41 books and more than 25,000 baseball.
On the other hand, AuthorJul 19, 2025, 11:27am EDTWhen Hurricane Milton imploded the Tropicana Field dome last fall, the Tampa Bay Rays had to find a. More new place for games.
Meanwhile, (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Getty Images Thanks to pending new ownership, the bability of the Tampa Bay Rays moving elsewhere now seems as ly as the resurrection of Tropicana Field, the team’s original ballpark.
Nevertheless, According to The Athletic, Stuart Sternberg is concluding arrangements to sell the American League East franchise to Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski, in this volatile climate.
7 billion deal is expected to be apved by the required three-quarters of incumbent owners, perhaps as early as September.
Meanwhile, Even if that happens, however, Sternberg would still receive the 2025 World Series trophy if the Rays rebound from an erratic first half to win their first world championship.
Market analysis shows team lost both of its previous Fall Classic appearances, in 2008 and 2020, in today's financial world.
On the other hand, Under Sternberg, who purchased the Rays in 2004 for a reported $200 million, the team has established a reputation for making the most of minimal resources.
Low Payroll The Rays rank 26th among the 30 teams in 2025 payroll, according to Roster Resource, and are one of just five teams to pay their players less than $100 million.
Conversely, They also have a long track record of avoiding the sting of free-agent desertions by trading their highest-salaried stars – a trend that may continue before the trade deadline of July 31.
Stuart Sternberg, owner of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2004, will escape a myriad of blems when he. More completes negotiations to sell the team in September, given current economic conditions.
Nevertheless, (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***WireImage Sternberg’s stewardship has been controversial.
To combat flagging attendance at Tropicana Field, he allowed the team to play six games (two three-game series in 2007 and 2008) at Disney World, hoping that the Orlando locale would attract regional fans, in this volatile climate.
Nevertheless, He also flirted with the idea of playing half his schedule in Montreal, which the Expos deserted when they became the Washington Nationals in 2005 (which is quite significant).
At the same time, MORE FOR YOU Ideas for building new ballparks in Ybor City, on the Tampa side of the bay, or even in St.
Moreover, Petersburg, across a causeway crowded with evening rush-hour traffic before night games, have also been considered, considering recent developments.
However, Financing Issues But financing has always been a stumbling block, even after the Rays convinced the City of St.
Petersburg, Pinellas County, and ased private investors to the cost of a posed $1 (remarkable data). 2 billion ballpark to replace the outdated Trop.
The jected completion date was 2028, given the current landscape. However, And then the roof fell in – literally.
Hurricane Milton imploded the Tropicana dome last October, making the field unplayable (noteworthy indeed).
Meanwhile, After considering various options, the Rays agreed to play their 81-game schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Tampa-based spring training of the New York Yankees.
Furthermore, For the first time, the vagaries of the humid summer climate became a scheduling factor.
At the same time, Because that minor-league ballpark is located in Hillsborough County rather than Pinellas County, the impact on the local economies compounded the catastrophe.
Sternberg, who had scuttled the idea of building the new ballpark on the Tropicana site, found himself stuck in no-man’s-land, pressured to sell rather than shift (remarkable data).
However, He finally found a buyer in Zalupski, the billionaire CEO of Dream Finders s. However, His net worth is $1. 4 billion and his company is valued at $3.
Meanwhile, 4 billion, according to Forbes, amid market uncertainty.
Injecting new cash into the team could end its years of fiscal frugality, such as trading players before they become free agents and not signing any high-priced players once they join the market.
In contrast, Once new ownership is finalized, the team must decide on a 2026, either returning to a repaired Tropicana Field or staying put in their current borrowed minor-league ballpark, considering recent developments.
Finding a permanent will also take on new urgency. Playoffs Park.
Should the Rays reach the playoffs this fall, they already have permission from Major League Baseball to play those games where they are.
The team drew an average of 16,575 fans into Tropicana Field in 2024, ahead of only the Marlins and Athletics in attendance, but couldn’t fit that many into Steinbrenner Field, which has a capacity of just 10,046.
Staying there indefinitely is not a solution that seems satisfactory to the team, its fans, or new ownership, in today's market environment. Zalupski prefers a Tampa location over St.
Pete, according to The Athletic, but that will require detailed and delicate negotiations with civic leaders in both locations, in today's financial world.
Until they come up with a site for a new stadium, not to mention financing and a jected opening date, the Rays are ly to remain in a baseball Twilight Zone, considering recent developments.
Although they are one of two s, along with the Athletics, playing games in minor-league parks this year, the A’s have earmarked a 2028 opening for their Las Vegas ballpark, now under construction, given the current landscape.
That leaves them light-years ahead of the Rays, who Florida with the Miami Marlins, another team with attendance woes.
Critics have long cont that the Sunshine State cannot sustain full-time teams despite its history as the birthplace of spring training, in today's financial world.
At the same time, In addition, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred, who plans to retire when his term expires in 2029, insists that expansion from 30 to 32 teams will not commence until all existing s are anchored in permanent parks.
The Rays reached the All-Star break last weekend with a record of 50-47, 5½ games behind the front-running Toronto Blue Jays and 1½ games removed in the race for the third and final wild-card spot.
This leads to the conclusion that leads to the conclusion that team lost eight of its last ten before the break. Editorial StandardsRes & PermissionsLOADING PLAYER (fascinating analysis).