Baseball fans in Nashville, Charlotte and Montreal have hope.
Rays owner Stuart Sternberg announced Thursday that the proposed franchise in St. Petersburg, Florida, will not move forward, appearing to open the door for a potential relocation.
“After careful deliberation, we concluded that we cannot proceed with a new ballpark and development project at this time,” Sternberg said in a statement. “The series of events that began in October could not have predicted that no one would have led to this difficult decision.
“Our commitment to vitality and success for the Rays organization is unwavering. We are focused on finding ballpark solutions that will serve our region, major league baseball and our organization's greatest benefits.”
The announcement raises questions about whether the rays will remain in Florida, or whether they can move.
The Rays had a March 31 deadline for the proposed stadium in the historic gas factory district in downtown Tampa. All ESPNwhich included a franchise that demonstrated that it could meet a minimum $700 million obligation to the process.
It's fair to wonder if the Rays will continue to call Florida home now.
Baseball fans have been guessing for years whether the Rays could move to new locations. The four cities mentioned above are often listed as potential sites.
The move certainly doesn't help in Sternberg's appeal to sell the franchise, as reported by Athletic.
Rays regularly carry one of the lowest paychecks in the majors each year.
The Rays' future is in the air, but there will be no home stadium in 2025 as Tropicana Field suffered heavy damage during Hurricane Milton.
Instead, he plays at Stein Brenner Field in Tampa, the Yankees' Class A affiliate home.
