TAMPA, Fla. – With no start date on fixing Tropicana Field and the Rays starting from scratch trying to find the money and location to build a stadium, Rays owner Stu Sternberg remains committed to finding a solution. He says MLB’s Commissioner Rob Manfred feels the same way.
“We (Manfred) speak multiple times a week, monthly,” Sternberg said. “We’ve been in constant dialogue about everything. Rob recognizes we’ve been put in a difficult situation here, with the double hurricanes. We are both in agreement to do what’s in the best interest of Major League Baseball.”
Last week, Sternberg and the Rays pulled out of an agreement to build a $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Pete right next to Tropicana Field. It was another failed attempt to rectify the Rays’ stadium situation.
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Meanwhile, with the roof ripped off of Tropicana Field thanks to Hurricane Milton, the New York Yankees are allowing the Rays to call Steinbrenner Field in Tampa home for only the 2025 season. Commissioner Manfred, speaking on SiriusXM Radio last week, admits the clock is ticking on all of this.
“The most important point now is that the Rays and Mr. Sternberg have to come up with a ‘go forward’ plan, which what it is they intend to do. I don’t think it’s realistic to play indefinitely in a repaired (Tropicana Field). They’ve got to tell the other clubs and I think they’ve got to tell their fan base that they have a plan to making it work in Tampa Bay.”
St. Pete was set to vote last Thursday, the day before Opening Day, on approving roughly $22 million to repair the Trop roof. But that vote was postponed with no reason given.
That doesn’t include all the other repairs needed at the Trop, which are estimated to cost an additional $34 million dollars.
Despite all the failed attempts to get a new stadium, the Rays have been one of the more successful teams on the field in recent years.
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“We’ve have the third-best record in baseball since 2008. There have been nine playoff appearances since I’ve been here. We want to do what’s best for the organization and the team.”
On March 13, Sternberg announced the Rays were pulling out of their contract with St.Pete.
That contract formally expires tomorrow, Monday, March 31.
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