Tampa Bay Rays Set To Sell Team & Move to Tampa With New Stadium
It seems we FINALLY have an answer to ‘What’s going to happen with the Rays?” Multiple reports tell us that Stu Stenberg has agreed in principle to sell the team…
It seems we FINALLY have an answer to 'What's going to happen with the Rays?" Multiple reports tell us that Stu Stenberg has agreed in principle to sell the team to a group led by Jacksonville builder Patrick Zalupski for $1.7 billion. The deal should finish by this September.
"Zalupski is expected to keep the team in the Tampa Bay area, with a strong preference to be in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg," said a source per The Athletic.
The buyers include Bill Cosgrove from Union Home Mortgage and Ken Babby, who runs two minor league clubs. The price marks a big jump from the $200 million Stu Sternberg paid in 2004.
The push to sell started after Hurricane Milton struck Tropicana Field last fall. The damage sent the team to play at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring site, for 2025.
At age 44, Zalupski brings wealth from his company, Dream Finders Homes. Worth $1.7 billion, his firm has built over 31,100 houses since 2009. The success caught MLB's eye.
Questions still swirl about where the team will play. Plans for a $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg crashed this spring. Yet MLB chief Manfred stays hopeful about fixing Tropicana Field. Mayor Castor has put in multiple bids for a new stadium in Ybor City.
"The repair of the stadium is moving along," Manfred said, according to Bleacher Report. "We remain optimistic that we will be ready either for Opening Day or very shortly thereafter."
The deal needs approval from most MLB owners. The team must stay at Tropicana Field through 2028, with an extra year added due to the 2025 move.
