By all appearances, the Tampa Bay Rays are staying put. Major League Baseball has refused to give ownership permission to explore their dual city plan, with the team playing half the season in the Tampa Bay area and the other half in Montreal. Principal owner Stuart Sternberg has said all the right things, that ownership is committed to keeping the Rays in the Tampa Bay area and that they will look to find a spot for a new full time stadium again.
But Sternberg also left the door open to relocate. He specified that he has not asked for permission to explore doing so just yet, but he is not certain that the region can handle 81 games of baseball per season. Sternberg also noted that since the Rays’ lease on Tropicana Field ends after the 2027 season, they need to figure out their new home soon.
Tampa Bay Rays setting stage for move to Montreal for 2028
By soon, that essentially means by the beginning of 2023. The Rays previous plans for a new stadium have been shot down as the city and team could not agree on funding and which side should pay how much. Those issues may not be resolved in a timely manner, let alone the Rays finding a stadium site that works.
This puts pressure on the local governments to find an equitable solution to keep the Rays in Florida. Otherwise, the organization had already partnered with Montreal businessman Stephen Bronfman, spending a great deal of time and money on their sister city idea.
Sternberg also put a caveat on his statement by saying that the Rays needed to see what attendance looked like this season as well. It is difficult to imagine what Sternberg expects to happen as the Rays have ranked towards the bottom of the league in attendance for years. It is not as though Tropicana Field is suddenly going to be filled to the catwalks every night.
What this does do is provide ownership with an excuse. When attendance does not pick up drastically, and if those same problems with financing a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area rear their head again, ownership gets to throw their hands in the air and say that they tried. Then they can go to the league and request permission to relocate, claiming the Rays cannot be viable if they stay in Florida.
Maybe that will change. Maybe the Rays will be able to get that new ballpark in the Tampa Bay area that they desire. And maybe attendance will pick up with the knowledge that the organization is viewing that metric as a sign of how viable it is for the team to remain in town. Chances are, Sternberg and company are banking on that not being the case.
Stuart Sternberg is saying all the right things about staying in Florida. But he is likely looking at moving the Tampa Bay Rays to Montreal.