Stu Sternberg, owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, is being pressured to sell his team by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and “some other owners,” according to The Athletic.
More on the situation:
A sale is not close, but several groups with Florida ties have expressed interest in the team, people briefed on the process said. One includes the family of Edward DeBartolo Jr., which owns the San Francisco 49ers and has roots in Tampa, three people briefed on the discussions said. Former New York Yankees minority owner Joe Molloy is involved in that effort as well, but does not carry the same financial weight as DeBartolo.
Dan Doyle Jr., the CEO of a Tampa-based office equipment company who tried to buy the Rays in 2023, is also reportedly interested again.
“What I can say now is this: The team has plans to stay in St. Petersburg, and we are fully committed to building on the great work that the city and county have already accomplished,” Molloy told the Tampa Bay Times Sunday. “We are incredibly excited about this opportunity, and that’s all I can share at this time.”
If not St. Pete, other potential bidders have looked at Tampa (where the Rays will play home games for the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field), Ybor City or Orlando.
Sternberg has been trying to secure a new stadium for upwards of 17 years, an effort only exacerbated by the damage Tropicana Field took in Hurricane Milton. Manfred and MLB seem to have had enough and sources told The Athletic that the Rays could risk losing some or all of their revenue-sharing money if the ballclub doesn’t firm up plans for a new ballpark. Sternberg and local leaders have been fighting all winter over funding for the proposed $1.3 billion stadium deal in the Gas Plant District.
If a sale does come to fruition, the Rays could be the fourth Major League Baseball franchise to be sold since the start of 2019. That places them in class with the Baltimore Orioles ($1.725 billion), New York Mets ($2.475 billion), and Kansas City Royals ($1 billion). The Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angels have also been on the market at one point or another without a deal being finalized, while the Minnesota Twins are expected to be sold before Opening Day 2025.
The Rays have faced an eventful offseason that began with Tropicana Field’s dome roof being damaged in a hurricane. (The team will have to play its home games this season at Steinbrenner Field, the home of the New York Yankees’ Florida State League affiliate.) The team’s upper management subsequently engaged in a contentious winter with local politicians — one that raised questions about the Rays’ long-term future in the St. Petersburg area.
Originally awarded to Vince Naimoli as an expansion team, the Rays played their inaugural season in 1998. They didn’t record their first winning season until 2008, but they’ve since reached the playoffs nine times. In fact, last season marked the first time in six years they failed to qualify for the postseason.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
