The Tampa Bay Rays said Thursday the team will not meet the March 31 deadline to execute its part in the pending $1.3 billion new ballpark deal with the city of St. Petersburg, Fla.
The decision, coming two weeks prior to the deadline, was announced by the Rays on X, and it calls into question the future of the beleaguered franchise in the Tampa Bay area. The deal for a new ballpark had been largely negotiated before Hurricane Milton tore the roof off the Rays’ home, Tropicana Field, in October. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg relayed the team’s decision to St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch in a phone call.
“After careful deliberation we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” the statement read in part. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this decision.”
The Rays—who will play this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., the spring training home of the New York Yankees—have no place to play in the area beyond this season unless repairs are complete at the Trop. They open their season against the Colorado Rockies on March 28.
The deal was already under siege from the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission. Both bodies approved public dollars for the project earmarked for the Historic Gas Plant District adjacent to the damaged domed facility, where the Rays had played since expanding into the American League in 1998.
Hurricane Milton last year blew off the Teflon panels that constituted the roof, causing flood damage inside of the building. The estimate to repair the building is $55.7 million. Since the initial damage, the stadium has remained susceptible to the elements.
The Rays have a stadium lease with St. Petersburg through 2028. The lease says the city is responsible for fixing the damage.
The Rays said that the city is “currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” adding, “we continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interests of our region, Major League Baseball and our organization.”
(This story has corrected the name of the Historic Gas Plant District in paragraph five.)
