Rays Fans Should Feel Cautiously Optimistic About New Ownership

New Ownership Isn’t Always The Solution

Rays fans only need to look within the AL East to observe how a new ownership group can change things. In Baltimore, the Orioles were recently sold to private equity billionaire David Rubenstein for $1.725 billion. The hope in Baltimore was that a new ownership group would dramatically raise payroll for a franchise that badly lagged during the years of Peter Angelos as owner. In fact, payroll did rise from around $60 million in 2023 to approximately $164 million at the present moment. Still, Orioles fans want more spending and remain disappointed with the 2025 season. Are there any extensions for the young players coming soon?

Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The Orioles spent money this winter, but it might as well have been flushed down the toilet. Starting pitcher Charlie Morton has a 5.18 ERA in 14 games started, while outfielder Tyler O’Neill has a .176/.271/.314 in 30 games. Baltimore fans are disappointed with the performance of general manager Mike Elias, who oversaw that poor free agent spending and continues to make decisions as the head of baseball operations. Will Rubenstein make the necessary changes to shake up the Baltimore front office? Nobody knows that answer, and it demonstrates how new ownership isn’t always the magic bullet solution to every problem that ails a baseball franchise.

How Will New Ownership Affect The Rays?

The Rays have a pretty good thing going, with the third-most wins in MLB since 2008. The front office does a good job when left to its own devices. However, a new administration typically wants its people running the franchise. Does that mean someone like general manager Erik Neander could be poached away while the organization is in a transitional state? If not Neander, then other individuals who are critical to the Rays success may accept opportunities elsewhere. The point is that success isn’t guaranteed to continue even with the prospect of new ownership.

The elephant in the room remains the new stadium and its location. Reportedly, the new owner would like to keep the team in the Tampa area. Zalupski has a background in real estate development, which should help in finding the physical space to build a stadium. Sufficient time has passed that the Ybor City project may no longer be feasible. Zalupski and his group will need to hit the ground running almost immediately.

They must find a way to improve relations with the local politicians whom Sternberg damaged. The group must fulfill the lease at Tropicana Field while the new ballpark is being constructed. Bottom line, it was a lot of work, and Sternberg no longer wanted anything to do with it. Sternberg’s Rays legacy is a mixed one, and fans are preparing to adopt a new approach to business.