JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays announced this week that the team was in the middle of advanced discussions with a group backed by Jacksonville-area billionaire Patrick Zalupski and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp owner Ken Babby to sell the team.
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Once the news began circulating, it was followed by plenty of speculation regarding the Rays’ future in Tampa Bay and the other Florida cities that could become the organization’s new host, with two cities standing out if the team were to leave the 813: Orlando and Jacksonville.
Currently, the Rays are playing at George Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training facility in St. Petersburg, until Tropicana Field is fully repaired following the extensive damage it sustained from Hurricane Ian last September.
Following its repair, the Rays are slated to play at the Trop until their agreement ends following the 2028 season, so any move to a new city wouldn’t happen until the 2029 season at the earliest.
Additionally, in March, the Rays released a statement saying it would not be moving forward with plans to build a new ballpark as part of a “redeveloped Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg,” according to the MLB, which released the following statement in response to the news.
Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the Club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community.
Commissioner Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.
Spokesperson for Major League Baseball
However, the MLB’s expressed desire to stay in Tampa Bay hasn’t stopped one Orlando-based group from remaining steadfast in their mission to get America’s pastime to Central Florida.
According to FOX35 Orlando, the Orlando Dreamers, a group including Hall of Fame baseball player Barry Larkin, “continue to see Orange County and the greater Orlando area as an unsurpassed market for the next MLB location.”
But one local expert believes that if the Rays were to relocate after being sold to the Zalupski-Babby group, Jacksonville would likely be a preferred choice over Orlando, primarily citing Orlando’s need for a stadium, which is essentially the same issue the organization is dealing with in Tampa Bay.
“I actually think it is more likely for the Rays if they relocate to come to Jacksonville over Orlando,” said Dr. Kristi Sweeney, the director of sports management at the University of North Florida. “In my opinion, the new ownership group will be most interested in the mixed-use development that can happen around the [Jaguars] stadium…Zalupski could see a vision in Jacksonville, with Jaguars stadium renovations, [the] UF project, and perhaps a baseball stadium renovation.”
Sweeney said that a move to Jacksonville remains unlikely, despite Zalupski’s affiliations with the area, but added that if the financial advantage presents itself, anything is possible.
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