The Tampa Bay Rays have shown to be a formidable opponent in the American League East. At times, they’ve beaten the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles. They’ve been to the World Series twice in their existence, losing both times. Despite their remarkable on-field success, the Rays have failed to attract fans, and Tropicana Field was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton last year and is no longer capable of hosting games.
While the Rays intend to build a new home stadium, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and many other MLB owners are reportedly pressuring owner Stu Sternberg to sell the team.
A story by Evan Drellich of The Athletic details MLB’s decision to pressure Sternberg to sell. The team is not currently for sale, but there are several significant business persons in the Tampa region who may be interested in it, including the family of San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.
The Rays intend to play their upcoming home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Steinbrenner Field is the New York Yankees’ spring training facility.
However, the Rays have been searching for a new permanent home stadium for 17 years. They have a significant deadline of the end of the month to finalize the plans for the new facility. If Sternberg is unable to obtain the deal, Major League Baseball may attempt to deduct some of the team’s revenue sharing funds.
Rays facing difficult season in 2025 for multiple reasons
The Rays have never received the same level of fan support as their American League East rivals. Tropicana Field frequently had fewer than 15,000 people in attendance for the bulk of its games. Steinbrenner Field has a capacity of around 11,000, thus small audiences will be the norm for the Rays until they have a new permanent venue.
The Rays finished 80-82 last season, and manager Kevin Cash may struggle to replicate that total in 2025. Several of the Rays’ key opponents have strengthened their rosters this offseason, but the Rays do not look to have a more talented club than they did last year.
The Rays were able to sign two minor free agents, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Danny Jansen, but such signings are unlikely to keep the Rays competitive in the coming season.
