Three Questions For The Incoming Tampa Bay Rays Owner

Zalupski and his group will have a chance to speak with the media in the coming days. He’s a fresh face in the Tampa Bay area, and fans want to see how he answers the list of questions on his plate. Introductory press conferences are usually filled with lofty promises, but they can serve as an important first impression.

Here are three questions for Zalupski and company:

What’s Going On With The Stadium?

That age-old question for the Rays and their fans. Where is this team going to play baseball games in the future? The Rays just wrapped up a season in which they played their 81 home games at Steinbrenner Field after Tropicana Field was destroyed by a hurricane last summer. That arrangement was only a one-year plan.

Zalupski needs to reassure everyone that the current repairs to Tropicana Field are on track. Therefore, the Rays can fulfill the terms of their lease and remain at the Trop until at least the end of 2028. Beyond that, Zalupski needs to continue shedding light on his plans to keep the team in the Tampa Bay area. What long-term stadium sites are actually under consideration? Unfortunately, these are the type of projects that cost increases and construction delays can always overrun. Hopefully, an individual with a background in building homes can offer insight on these matters.

How Involved Do You Plan To Get?

Major League Baseball has numerous owners who meddle in areas they shouldn’t. One of the best attributes of Sternberg was that he hired people to do their jobs. Although Sternberg struggled with some aspects of ownership, he generally let his baseball people do their job.

Zalupski appears to be a person who will follow a similar path to Sternberg. Zalupski reportedly plans to bring on a number of other individuals in this ownership group, with each person having a specific share of responsibility. Rays fans would greatly appreciate any further clarity on those individuals and their roles. It will be fascinating to see how his group works together.

On a human level, how frequently will fans see you during home games, cheering on the Rays at the Trop? The answer doesn’t really matter, although Sternberg often received criticism for living out of state and not showing up enough.

What Are Your Thoughts On Team Payroll?

This is a prickly question for the Rays because they typically spend little and still win a high number of games. It makes you wonder if this team can seriously contend for a World Series if their payroll is in the middle of baseball. Does Zalupski believe in targeted strikes in free agency for unique talents like Kyle Tucker? What are his thoughts on a salary cap and the larger payroll disparity in baseball?

The Rays have never sported a payroll higher than $100 million. They appear to have an $87 million figure as the off-season gets underway. How much wiggle room is there? It would be totally understandable if the new ownership group didn’t immediately hike payroll to record levels. Instead, they could pivot to contract extensions with some of the talented young stars on the team. That would be an amazing way to kick off an ownership group and follow in the footsteps of teams like the Baltimore Orioles when it comes to star players. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it would represent a change of pace if the purse strings didn’t always limit the Rays.