ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It appears the Tampa Bay Rays’ ability to gain financing for their new stadium is more of a battle of attrition. In recent actions, the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners and the city council of St. Petersburg created significant roadblocks, and now the Rays are at the mercy of two converging forces.
Not only do they have the daunting task of swaying political decision-makers to finance their proposed $1.3 new stadium, but they are also clearly cognizant of the time factor. With their present lease on Tropicana field expiring at the conclusion of the 2027 season, the hope and, indeed, the exception, is movement into their new digs at the start of the 2028 season.
Now, that time timeline is in serious jeopardy.
With expected approval for stadium financing anticipated as early as last month, that vision was destroyed by the two devastating hurricanes that hit the Tampa Bay area. That exacerbated tensions between the Rays and their political partners, who are crucial to the success of the project.
At the same time, the issue of repairing the damaged roof of Tropicana Field as well as important segments of the building’s infrastructure, remain to be resolved. All of which creates a scenario of uncertainty and doubt.
On Nov. 21, the St. Petersburg city council reversed a previous decision to commit $23 million to repair the roof at Tropicana Field. Two days earlier, the Pinellas Board postponed a vote on committing their share of stadium bonds until their next meeting on Dec. 17.
“This is a sad day, and I’m really disappointed,” city council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders told the Associated Press. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.”
One roadblock to overcome is the composition of the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners. In the elections earlier this month, two members of the Board who favored the Rays stadium deal lost. Winning these seats were Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer, both are committed “no” on the stadium program.
When the Board voted to delay their decision on financing binds, the vote was 6-1 and Rene Flowers represented the only affirmative vote. With that kind of opposition, the Rays face a significant challenge.
To complicate matters, members of the Pinellas Board accused the Rays of silence and lack of communication. A partnership so critical to the success of the project appears fragile at best. To that end, the Rays appeared to push a growing avalanche in the process when the club wrote a letter to the County Commissioners saying the club can no longer move forward with the stadium deal in its current form.
That’s when the Board voted nearly unanimously to delay their decision on any bond issue financing the stadium. In July, the Board committed $312.5 in public financing for the stadium. The vote to issue the bonds now lies at the epicenter.
One option could have the city move forward with repairing the roof and infrastructure and have the Rays sign a five-year lease through the 2032 season. That would give all parties more time to sort out the issue but delay construction for about another 10 years.
Overall, the proposed stadium is to be the centerpiece of a $6.5 billion revitalization project in the city’s Gas Plant district.
Another consideration is an incentive suggested by Rob Gerdes, the city administrator of St. Petersburg. He proposed a termination letter from the Rays, which would officially kill the deal. If the Rays issue the document, that will put the city in a better position to consider redevelopment of the entire gas Plant district. That will not likely happen and the Rays’ mantra, “we’re here to stay” continues to ring loud though the halls of local government.
On the diamond … with the Rays moving into George Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season, and conditions of high humidity and threat of constant rain, the Rays addressed the issue of bullpen depth. Here, they acquired righthander Eric Orze, a 27-year-old out of New Orleans, from the New York Mets. In 43 games with AAA Syracuse last season, Orze posted a 2.92 ERA and appeared in only two games with the Mets. To acquire Orze, the Rays parted with centerfielder Jose Siri, who is regarded strong defensively and elite ability to track down any ball near him. In 2024, Siri hit only hit .187 with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases. ESPN reported Siri could get a modest bump in salary from the $757,800 he received in 2024.
In other player transactions, the Rays designated lefthander Richard Lovelady for assignment, traded infielder Austin Shenton to Seattle (a day after he was designated for assignment) and placed outfielder Jake Mangum on the 40-man roster.