Tampa Bay Rays Get Another Huge Win in Quest For New Ballpark, Pressure is Now on Team

The Pinellas County Commission approved funds for the new ballpark, turning the pressure back on the Rays to hold up their end of the deal.

A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in 2023. / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

The Pinellas County Commission voted 5-2 on Tuesday in favor of passing bonds that would go toward the building of a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Per Sportsnet:

After a nearly two-month delay, the Pinellas County Commission voted Tuesday in favor of its share of financing for a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, part of a plan to keep the team in St. Petersburg for another 30 years.

This now means that Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg have upheld their end of the bargain financially, and the pressure is now on the Rays to do the same.

The Rays intended to build a new ballpark that would open in the 2028 season, but they say that the delays in funding have made that impossible. They say now that a ballpark can't be built until 2029 and that they can't absorb overage costs by themselves, as they are contractually obligated to do.

Some politicians feel that the Rays want to back out of the deal, but that remains to be seen at this point. If the Rays did want to back out of the deal, there has been talk of possible relocation of the franchise.

The Rays will spend the 2025 season playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa because of damage caused to Tropicana Field in Hurricane Milton.

The Rays went 80-82 this past season, finishing fourth in the American League East. They figure to be competitive in 2025 with the return of ace pitcher Shane McClanahan from injury.

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