The Tampa Bay Rays will reportedly be under new ownership soon.
According to The Athletic, Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to sell the team for $1.7 billion, with a deal expected to come as soon as September. The new owners will reportedly be a group that is led by Florida-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski.
The deal comes amid a period of turmoil surrounding the team’s home field. The Rays lost their normal field last year after the roof was torn off Tropicana Field during Hurricane Milton.
The damage eventually led to Sternberg backing out of plans for a new stadium for the team. According to The Athletic, that led MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and other owners to start putting pressure on Sternberg to sell the team.
Now, it looks like that sale will come through. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the new ownership group is expected to keep the Rays in the area, but would prefer to move out of St. Petersburg and across the bay to Tampa.
With Tropicana Field out of commission, the Rays are currently playing their home games at the spring training home of the New York Yankees, Steinbrenner Field.
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