Tampa Bay Ray’s owner Stu Sternberg is reportedly facing increased pressure to sell the franchise from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and other owners, according to Athletic.
MLB could even try to remove part of Rays’ income sharing income to try to force a sale according to the report. The rays currently receive $ 60 million in revenue sharing. The reported reason for the pressure is related to Sternberg considering supporting a stadium agreement.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
A general view of the stadium before a game between Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck -usa Today Sports)
Until the end of this month, Sternberg has to decide whether to continue with the new stadium agreement in the historic gas plant area in the center of Skt. Petersburg, Florida.
The rays have been trying to build a new stadium for 17 years, and urgently to tackle the problem praising this last fall after Hurricane Milton torn down their current venue, Tropicana Field. The team is ready to play their home matches in 2025 on the spring training facility of the rival New York Yankees.
Trump to president for historical sporting events – which teams and stars could skip the White House?
View of the damaged roof at Tropicana Field Stadium, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays after Hurricane Milton made lands in the center of St. Petersburg, Florida, October 10, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
Rays and Sternberg previously planned to contribute $ 700 million to a new stadium. However, a delayed county vote led to a storage in construction and therefore increased costs, so Sternberg does not believe that he and his team should have to cover the subsequent costs.
Pinella’s County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds in November and left this project in Limbo.
Potential candidates to buy the rays if Sternberg is pressed to sell, includes former Yankee’s minority owner Joe Molloy.
Tampa Bay Ray’s Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg and manager Kevin Cash Watch as pitchers and catchers have their first spring training training in Port Charlotte, Florida, February 12, 2025, in Charlotte Sports Park. Hurricane Milton Ripper taken from the Tropicana field in Skt. Petersburg, Florida, where Rays usually play their regular seasonal matches. They play their regular seasonal housing matches this year at New York Yanke’s Spring Training Stadium, Steinbrenner Field, which can accommodate 11,000 people. (Thomas O’Neill/Nurphoto)
Molloy confirmed his interest in the Tamp Bay Times.
“Yes, I am leading a group of prominent Tampa Bay-based investors who are interested in acquiring Tampa Bay Rays. We’ve gathered an incredible team that shares our vision,” Molloy told the business.
Tampa businessman Dan Doyle Jr. is also part of another group interested in the rays, according to the report.
