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New Rays owners discuss team's future
FOX 13's Evan Axelbank shares what the new Rays owners had to say about plans to move forward with a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area.
TAMPA - The new ownership group of the Rays affirmed their commitment to keeping the team in the Tampa Bay area during their first press conference on Tuesday morning.
New Owner Patrick Zalupski, Co-chair Bill Cosgrove and CEO Ken Babby expressed their hope for a new era of Rays baseball while silencing any questions on whether the team might leave town.
"It is our first and highest priority to find that home here in Tampa Bay. We understand the history and how important it is to get it right for the fans, our employees, the entire Tampa Bay region and Major League Baseball," Zalupski said.
The trio says their plan involves an ambitious goal of having a new ballpark ready by the 2029 season.
"We want to be methodical, and we will have purpose and vision in all that we do. But it is also essential that we move with a sense of urgency," Zalupski said. "Our goal is to have a world-class ballpark ready for Opening Day 2029. We acknowledge that this is aggressive and perhaps audacious, but time is of the essence."
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They painted a picture of what this new venue would offer, pointing towards "The Battery Atlanta," which houses the Braves along with year-round entertainment connected to the stadium.
Over 100 acres of land is what they want: A mixed-use development with hotels, restaurants, bars, music venues and office space.
"This list of criteria is effectively what we believe to be essential to being a world-class live, work, play experience," Zalupski said.
He emphasized the importance of balancing the quality of location with the amount of land.
No specific location was mentioned by the ownership group, but they did say the plan is to fund an enclosed, fixed roof stadium.
"We envision a fully enclosed, domed, climate-controlled, non-retractable ballpark. There is a lot of issues and maintenance with a retractable roof. Most of the owners that we talked to would actually now recommend against it. They wish they hadn't done it," Zalupski said.
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They did not hint at whether the team would continue to focus on finding low-cost players who can keep the team competitive, or if they would start pursuing big-name free agents, in hopes they can find the right recipe to bring a championship to Tampa.
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Rays new ownership press conference
The new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays held their first press conference on Tuesday morning.
Throughout the press conference, the three echoed that the economics of the club have not changed, saying that this franchise has a sturdy foundation.
"We believe in your culture, we believe in what the previous regime has created, and we want to build to sustain it," Babby said.
They think one of the keys to winning a championship is keeping a few people in place.
"I looked forward to looking forward with president of baseball operations Erik Neander and manager Kevin Cash who will continue to build a championship culture," Zalupski said.
They will steer clear of the baseball operations all together to let Neander and Cash take charge.
"We have an incredible organization," Zalupski said. "We have a self-imposed rule that none of us, none of the partners will have any influence on the baseball operations. These guys are exceptional. These guys have done an incredible job. I've been blown away."
Local perspective:
Pinellas County has been thought to have more money to offer than Hillsborough, though the Tampa mayor is now turning that on its head.
When asked if the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County can compete with the financial offer that can be made in Pinellas County," Mayor Jane Castor said. "We already did."
With St. Pete now fielding offers for Gas Plant development that does not include a stadium, and with the site being only 86 acres as opposed to Zalupski's desired 100 acres, Mayor Welch, who chatted warmly with Mayor Castor, had his own response to questions about a new financial framework.
"This is a different time, different circumstances," said Welch. "One of the major leverage points was the development rights on the land. The city has that now."
What's next:
Tropicana Field is currently undergoing repairs, but it is slated to be completed in time for the 2026 season.
The owners declined to talk about negotiating a new lease with Tropicana Field, citing their plans to move forward with a new stadium deal.
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The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Tampa Bay Rays new ownership team during a press conference on Tuesday.