Kim Klement-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Thursday they “cannot move forward with the new ballpark” project sparking speculation the team may move. The Rays’ announcement coincidentally occurred at the same time that the Nashville Stars, a potential Major League Baseball expansion franchise, unveiled their team logo and color scheme.
In their statement, the Tampa Bay Rays revealed that they have abandoned plans for a $1.3 billion stadium and mixed-use development of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Petersburg.
“Opening Day is right around the corner, and we are eager and prepared for what promises to be an exciting and fun season of baseball,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said in the statement. “Thanks to our dedicated staff and players, our fans will experience the game in one of the most intimate settings in modern baseball history.
“As we all recover from the impacts of the hurricanes, we are incredibly grateful for the support from our fans and the wider Tampa Bay community. We are especially appreciative of how our corporate partners have stepped up during this challenging time for our organization.
“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” the statement continued. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.
“Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interests of our region, Major League Baseball, and our organization.
“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”
In gratitude for the continued support from our fans and community. pic.twitter.com/vVGHn6nrAA
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) March 13, 2025
St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch said last month that the city was prepared to move on without the Tampa Bay Rays.
“We will not pursue the deal at any cost,” Welch said. “The greatness and future of St. Pete does not depend solely on this deal, and I am confident that we have given this endeavor our very best effort. It’s an effort and a process we can all be proud of.”
Earlier this week, it was reported that Sternberg is being pressured by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and other team owners to sell the team.
“If Stu walks away from this deal, I think the owners and Major League Baseball will see that he either has an unwillingness to do a new stadium in Tampa Bay, or he has a financial issue that prevents him from doing a new stadium in Tampa Bay and there needs to be an ownership change,” said Chris Latvala, a commissioner in Florida’s Pinellas County. “I do believe that we’ll have new ownership with the Rays at some point in the near future.”
Manfred has claimed that Major League Baseball is reportedly not interested in moving the team out of the area as it stands to make a lot of money from expansion franchises from cities like Nashville, Portland, or Salt Lake City in the coming years. However, as previously mentioned, Nashville appears ready to start conducting business. Whether that business involves the Tampa Bay Rays is yet to be determined.