Tampa Bay Rays Sale Could Be Completed by September

Current Rays team owner Stu Sternberg bought the Rays, previously known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, in 2004 for $220 million. On Monday, Zalupski's group was not reached immediately for comment and the Rays had no comment.

According to this report, Zalupski is leaning toward keeping the team in the Tampa, Florida, area and not move it to St. Petersburg. The possibility of having the Rays move to St. Petersburg has been a source of contention in the area for some time.

"The sale could hasten a conclusion to the Rays’ long-running search for a new stadium," Drellich and Rosenthal reported. "For two decades, Sternberg has tried to find a new home for the Rays other than Tropicana Field, which was built in 1990."

Hurricane Milton's damage drove Tampa Bay Rays out of Tropicana Field for 2025 MLB season

Due to Hurricane Milton severely damaging Tropicana Field, the Rays are playing their 2025 MLB season games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in June 2025 that he was hopeful that the Rays could return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season.

Right now, at the All-Star break, the Rays are 50-47 on the season, 5 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East Division standings. Tampa Bay got off to a rough start this season, but turned things around under manager Kevin Cash's leadership. At the break, Tampa Bay had gone 2-8 in its last 10 games.

If the Rays want to be included in the AL postseason picture, then they will have to play better down the stretch. Maybe an ownership change, with a future looking brighter for a new stadium to be built, could be the impetus that Tampa Bay needs to turn things around for good.