ORLANDO, Fla. – Two days after the Orlando Dreamers spoke publicly about their vision to bring an MLB team to Orlando, the Tampa Bay Rays announced they are possibly for sale.
But not to the Orlando Dreamers. Instead, the Rays are in exclusive talks with another potential Florida-based ownership group.
The deal, which was first reported by Sportico, involves Jacksonville billionaire Patrick Zalupski. If a deal is approved, reports show it will be worth more than $1.5 billion.
According to a news release, the Orlando Dreamers are not giving up on their MLB dream despite the sales talks.
On Thursday, the principals released statements.
We have been aware of various groups indicating interest in potentially acquiring the franchise. Multiple prospective groups have reached out to more than one of the key people affiliated with the Dreamers over recent months. This does not complicate our mission, nor does it change our plans for aggressively moving forward to the next phase of our initiative. We plan to open our downtown office in the very near future and we are laser-focused on finalizing the public side of the public/private partnership. We continue to see Orange County and the greater Orlando area as an unsurpassed market for the next MLB location.
MLB Ambassador for the Dreamers
Dr. Rick Workman, the anchor investor in the control ownership group for the Dreamers, further elaborated on Larkin’s comments in a news release.
The enthusiasm for bringing MLB to our designated 35.5 acre site in the middle of the tourist corridor in Orange County is clearly at a fever pitch. We have put in place all of the key team-side pillars that Major League Baseball requires for an area to qualify for a franchise. Orlando is undeniably the top market in the country without a franchise. We have an unparalleled site for our venue, right in the middle of 80 million tourists this year, and our stadium design will be the most impressive in all of baseball. With my partner, John Morgan, in the ownership group, we are local owners committed to delivering transformative benefits to Orange County and Central Florida with this initiative. Hall-of-Famer Barry Larkin provides us the baseball intuition and connectivity to round out a highly impressive leadership team.
Dr. Rick Workman, anchor investor behind the Orlando Dreamers
Jim Schnorf, co-founder of the Orlando Dreamers, also reconfirmed Barry Larkin’s comments at the June 16 luncheon that the Dreamers have multiple “trips to the plate” in regards to opportunities to attain an MLB team.
“We believe it is unlikely that a sale of the Rays can consummate without an affirmative stadium site and stadium financing solution in place, steps which are very challenging and time consuming, but that we are fortunate to have under control,” said Schnorf. “Regardless of the circumstances with the Rays and their discussions with any prospective buyer group, the Dreamers are continuing to move forward in concluding the final aspects of our initiative. With all the recent progress over the past 90 days, we have demonstrated that we are fully prepared for any opportunity to bring Major League Baseball to Orange County.”
Proposed Orlando Dreamers stadium. (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)
The Orlando Dreamers previously reported that based on an independent study completed in 2023, establishing an MLB team in the proposed domed stadium on the 35.5-acre site adjacent to SeaWorld and the Orange County Convention Center is projected to create approximately 25,000 permanent jobs.
Over the next 30 years, the economic impact of the initiative is estimated to exceed $40 billion for Orange County. The influx of investment will bolster local businesses, enhance tourism, and provide a substantial boost to the community, the Orlando Dreamers said.
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
About the AuthorHaley Coomes headshotHaley Coomes
Haley is a digital content producer for ClickOrlando.com and first started as a News 6 producer in October 2014. She’s a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in journalism. She specializes in theme parks and lifestyle writing.