ST. PETERSBURG — Major League Baseball appears on board with the Rays’ plans to build a new stadium adjacent to their current Tropicana Field location.
The team is set to begin negotiations soon, after St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch on Monday chose a group led by the team and the global Hines company to lead the redevelopment of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District, including a new stadium.
Commissioner Rob Manfred, in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, said Tuesday morning:
“Thank you to Mayor Welch for reaffirming St. Petersburg’s commitment to Major League Baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays. We look forward to working with the Mayor to secure the Rays’ long-term future in Tampa Bay.”
Team officials at times have said that, ideally, they would prefer a new stadium be located in Tampa. They reiterated Monday that they will continue discussions with leaders on that side of the bay until a deal with St. Petersburg is finalized.
Manfred in July said he would consider a Tampa site “more preferable in some respects” but added that location isn’t the only factor. He often says he defers to team ownership on local matters. After the Rays made the Trop redevelopment bid in December, Manfred commended them for their effort “to explore all of the available options in the Tampa Bay region.”
MLB owners have a meeting scheduled for next week; the Rays’ situation is expected to be discussed but not be a major topic. Manfred has said repeatedly that resolving stadium issues for the Rays and Oakland-based A’s are priorities for the league and essential before considering a desired expansion from 30 to 32 teams.
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