The new owners take a big swing at the future — but where will be home for the Rays?
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have new owners have a big decision ahead to find a long-term home in the Tampa Bay area for the baseball team.
On Tuesday, during their first news conference since taking over, the new ownership group laid out its vision.
“We want to create a place where people can live, work, and play,” said Patrick Zalupski, one of the new majority owners. “Long term, we’re looking for our forever home in Tampa Bay.”
That vision centers on more than 100 acres of potential development — with hotels, restaurants, bars, and music venues anchoring what the team hopes will become a year-round community hub. But exactly where it will be built is still undecided.
“We’re looking at everywhere,” Zalupski said. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into one site.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor made her pitch.
“I’m sure St. Pete is confident as well,” she said. “And while you can say that we’re in competition, we do work together. The goal all along has been to make sure the Tampa Bay Rays stay in Tampa Bay.”
In St. Petersburg, Mayor Ken Welch said the city had a previous deal in place and felt blindsided when the team walked away.
“The city and county put a lot on the table, and the Rays walked away,” Welch said. “This is a new ownership group, and we’ll be very direct about our priorities.”
This week, the Rays are visiting both dugouts and meeting with officials in Tampa and St. Pete as they continue evaluating potential stadium sites.
While the vision is big, the economics haven’t changed.
“I think it’s critical to have a public-private partnership,” Zalupski said. “We’re confident everyone can come together to build a championship team.”
But fans shouldn’t expect a Yankees-style spending spree; it’s still Moneyball for now.
“The economics of the team have not changed since we bought them,” he added.
Instead, the focus remains on building a sustainable contender — both on the field and in the community.
“We want to build a sustainable championship team,” said team executive Ken Babby. “We’ll use the game of baseball to do good in the community.”
And while the location of a future stadium remains up in the air, the team is already investing in its current home.
Tropicana Field is getting a major upgrade: half of the roof panels — 12 of 24 — have already been replaced, and the stadium is on track to be fully ready for the 2026 season.
New video boards, a new sound system, and fan experience improvements are also underway.
For now, the Rays are under contract to play at Tropicana Field through 2028. But the search for their next home is heating up — and the next few months could determine which city will be rounding third and heading for home.