Erik

Neander

The Rays and the county reached an agreement for a $1.2 billion heir to Tropicana Field in Sept. 2023, but between Hurricane Milton and the election of county commissioners skeptical of the deal, things have gone sideways since. The Rays might now resume looking at other cities for a permanent home. They’ll be playing the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa as a result of hurricane damage to the Trop. That damage is capable of being repaired in time for the 2026 campaign, but it’s unclear if the money will be spent to make that happen. The Rays were originally planning for three more years at Tropicana Field before the new stadium opened in 2028.

Topkin adds that the stadium will be built near the current Tropicana Field site, carrying a price tag in excess of $1.2 billion, and is expected to open for the start of the 2028 season. The Rays have spent nearly two decades searching for a new stadium and appear close to finalizing a deal that will keep the team in Tampa Bay for the next three decades.

The city council must sign off on a development agreement, which might not happen until 2024. The Rays hold control over the stadium site’s land through the end of 2027, which gave them significant leverage in this process, and made it essential for the city to select the Rays’ preferred choice (Hines) as the developer for the site. If the two sides are unable to agree on a financing agreement for a new stadium, the club would likely being exploring the possibility of relocating for the 2028 season.

Rays ownership has been pumping up this project for more than two years, and Topkin notes that MLB’s decision to suddenly put an end to it frustrated and stunned team officials. The organization’s focus, per Topkin’s sources, will now shift toward building a new permanent home in the Tampa Bay area. There had been chatter about full-on relocation before the wonky split-city concept began to take shape in 2019. The current lease agreement at Tropicana Field is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2027 season.

This follows the September elevation of Erik Neander from GM to president of baseball operations. Bendix, a graduate of Tufts University, first joined Tampa Bay’s front office as an intern back in 2009 and had recently been serving as the vice president of baseball development. Per a news release from the Rays, he will assist Neander “with departmental oversight and an increased emphasis on major-league operations, such as player evaluation and procurement, roster management and the day-to-day functions of the major league club.”

Neander was a popular name among rival teams as a candidate for a President of Baseball Operations role this offseason, but he will be staying in Tampa Bay. In a press conference, the Rays’ GM stated that it was “frankly pretty easy” to commit long term given the support he has been given by the organization and that this is his “dream job.” Neander stated that there are no plans to hire or name another general manager or change the structure of how they do business.

Seating will initially be limited to around 7,000 per game, with fans “sitting in small pods distanced from other groups,” per Topkin. Obviously, the club’s plan is evolving, and the hope is that they will be able to allow more fans into the stadium as the season goes along.

According to multiple outlets, the Rays will then reassess the situation before committing anything further. This now makes 10 teams who have committed to pay their players through at least June, with just the Athletics announcing they won’t continue the payments at the end of May.