Latest Tampa Bay Rays News and Notes

Now, the club embarks on a season in which they will compete in a loaded AL East with the goal of securing a winning season for the first time since 2023. With the winter almost over and the news cycle slowing down, here are some of the latest pieces of news emanating from the West Coast of Florida.

Anything New On The Stadium?

Ah, the never-ending quest to find a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ve got Tropicana Field for the next three seasons, but there are massive questions beginning in 2029. The Rays have entered into a non-binding agreement with Hillsborough Community College to pursue a stadium plan on the approximately 113-acre site. There are still no official construction renderings or an estimated financial cost of the project. 

The Rays are about to enter the thorniest part of these proceedings. They need to start building sooner rather than later. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays have privately shared a $2.3 billion cost for the ballpark alone (a huge increase over the $1.3 billion cost of the prior project in 2024). That $2.3 billion figure does not account for a mixed-use ballpark district.

The big question is what portion will the Rays pay for? What portion will Hillsborough County help with? Who pays for future repairs and renovations? On a larger level, how will the Rays share the surrounding land with their neighbors?

A Television Deal Fell Apart

This piece of breaking news was not exactly surprising. The Rays are among nine baseball teams who shuttered their broadcasting agreements with Main Street Sports Group last month. Major League Baseball will run the broadcast for six of those clubs, including the Rays. The Rays are now part of a broader media rights issue that MLB must solve in the intermediate future.

Main Street Sports Group has been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy in recent years, as cord-cutting and streaming have revolutionized the way in which viewers consume content. Rays fans won’t notice a huge change in 2026, as MLB will keep the television broadcasters and eliminate those pesky blackouts. On the other hand, the organization will face a huge financial loss when they collect less money than they did under the previous model. This will manifest itself in reduced team payrolls and an uncertain financial outlook over the next few years.

Unfortunately, this will make a bad situation even worse. It’s not like Rays fans are accustomed to bloated payrolls. Don’t expect the Rays to bid on Bo Bichette when he opts out of his contract with the New York Mets!

More Infield Depth

As it pertains to the baseball diamond, the Rays once again found themselves in the middle of a three-team trade. This one involved the Brendan Donovan trade to the Seattle Mariners. The Rays got Ben Williamson in exchange for a prospect and draft pick. Williamson made his MLB debut this past season and posted a .253/.294/.310 in 85 games for the Mariners. He played third base entirely in 2025. The Rays have someone named Junior Caminero at that spot.

Williamson has experience in the minor leagues at second base and shortstop. With Gavin Lux in the fold, the Rays presumably view Williamson as someone who can platoon with Lux, who struggled mightily against southpaws. Williamson performed better as he hit .259/.323/.318 against lefties last season.

It remains to be seen if Williamson can carve out enough playing time. Fittingly, the Rays enter Spring Training with a ton of options and few opportunities to satisfy everyone. It should be interesting to see how they fit these puzzle pieces together.