Rays' failure to reach ballpark deal makes relocation feel likelier than ever

The Tampa Bay Rays' plans to remain in the area were dealt another major blow on Thursday, when the team failed to reach a deal on a new stadium with the city of St. Petersburg, Florida.

According to ESPN, the Rays announced their decision not to proceed with plans to build a $1.3 billion stadium, after negotions stalled out with the city over payment plans.

"After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment," Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. "A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision."

"Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interests of our region, Major League Baseball, and our organization."

The Rays have a contract to continue to play in Tropicana Stadium for three more seasons, but won't be able to play there this year due to damage from Hurricane Milton.

If you needed a sign that relocation is more likely than ever for this team, this is it.

The Rays have felt doomed in Florida almost from the start. They consistently rank at or near the bottom of Major League Baseball in attendance, and have been unable to make headway in either St. Petersburg or Tampa on building themselves a new stadium. They are consistently one of the lowest-spending teams in baseball, and have never really been competitive for top-tier free agents.

The writing has been on the wall for years; this franchise cannot thrive in Tampa, and likely needs to move elsewhere to find success. Their last real hope was this stadium deal, and Sternberg couldn't get the financing deals done that he needed to in order to get that across the finish line. Anytime that happens to a franchise trying to build a stadium, especially one who has struggled to find a deal to build like the Rays have, it's a death knell for their time in the city.

It feels like the only questions that stand in the way of relocation for the Rays are the form it will take. Will Sternberg sell the team? Evan Drelich of The Athletic reported several days ago that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and several other team owners are pressuring Sternberg to sell the franchise. Without the stadium deal in place, Sternberg could lose out on the revenue sharing money that the Rays have been receiving as one of the lower-revenue teams in baseball, which would expedite their financial tailspin and likely force a sale.

But a sale isn't the only option. Sternberg could move the team on his own to, say, Nashville or Montreal, but doing so would likely engender severe pushback from the league. Manfred has repeatedly stated a desire to add two expansion franchises, and would not be keen on letting Sternberg, who has yet to find a way to draw crowds in Tampa, keep a team in a new place.

There is a bit of hope for Tampa fans that their team will stay put. According to Drelich, two groups are interested in buying the team, and both have ties to the Tampa area. If Sternberg sells to them, we could see the Rays remain here, and potentially get the stadium deal they've failed on over and over again.

If not, we could be looking at a return of the Montreal Expos, or baseball in Nashville, Tennessee sooner than later.

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