It’s been an uphill battle for the Tampa Bay Rays to get to the 2025 regular season. Although they finished just under .500 and fourth place in the American League East last season, they were hit with a significant financial burden going into this upcoming season opener.
The Rays will be playing at Steinbrenner Field, the home of the New York Yankees’ spring training facilities. Back in the fall, their home stadium, Tropicana Field, was brutally damaged by Hurricane Milton.
The “Trop” didn’t get the repairs needed to be ready for opening day against Colorado on March 28th.
Without the famous dome that the Rays are known for playing at as their home field this season, there has been some chatter among top league executives about a potential sale of the Rays, and team president Stu Sternberg confirmed it.
According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, several people, including MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, have pressured Sternberg into selling the team. The pressure to sell the team is not an imminent idea that has fully taken motion, but it has been floated because Sternberg needs to find a new stadium for the team sooner rather than later.
Sources: Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and some owners are pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell the Tampa Bay Rays. Revenue sharing money could be at stake.
Several groups have expressed interest, including the family of Edward DeBartolo Jr.https://t.co/DgClN3C5D9
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 10, 2025
Sternberg and city officials in the Tampa/St. Petersburg-area have compiled a proposal for a new stadium that would cost $1.3 billion. The project has hit many major roadblocks since it was proposed and has a fast-approaching March 31st deadline.
Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million. They’re now valued at around $1.25 billion, one of the lowest price tags for an MLB team.
There was no follow-up from the league or Sternberg regarding The Athletic’s report from Sunday night. However, despite the league wanting to keep the Rays in the Tampa area, a future with Sternberg as owner seems somewhat hard to envision at this moment.
