From left: Tampa Bay Rays ownership Bill Cosgrove, Patrick Zalupski, and CEO Ken Babby // Chris Young, WMNF News, 10/7/25

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The new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays, led by Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski, spoke to the media for the first time since buying the team at Steinbrenner Field Tuesday. 

They said they plan on keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay, but have yet to find a “forever home” for them to play at. 

Zalupski said he’s looking at areas on both sides of the bay for a new Rays stadium, and a public-private partnership is critical. 

“We just don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into one location or one site; we really want to evaluate everything. Be methodical, be disciplined,” Zalupski said.

Zalupski was joined by Rays co-chair Bill Cosgrove and Rays CEO Ken Babby. 

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The owners mentioned the home of the Atlanta Braves as their inspiration, calling it a   “gold standard” of what they want to build in Tampa Bay. 

They also mentioned short-term updates for Tropicana Field, like new video boards, a new sound system, and repairs to the roof for an opening next spring. 

This comes after the Rays, under owner Stu Sternberg, ended a billion-dollar deal with St. Pete to construct a stadium and redevelop the area around Tropicana Field. 

When asked what’s going to be different this time, Zalupski said he’s going to focus on working with communities, cities, and counties. 

“It’s our job as well to lay out the vision and have the community buy into that,” Zalupski said.

After the press conference, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said he’s going to put the city’s priorities first. 

“We’re going to work with the Rays to fulfill our obligations to them, but we’re focused on those priorities of jobs, housing, economic inclusion,” Welch said.

Zalupski said they hope to have a new home for the Rays by 2029. 

“Our goal is to have a world class ballpark ready for Opening Day 2029. We acknowledge this is aggressive and perhaps audacious, but time is of the essence,” Zalupski said.