There’s less than a month left for the Rays to meet their deadline to get public funding for the new $1.3 billion stadium. But it appears Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is fielding some offers to buy the St. Pete squad.
To who?
The Tampa Bay Times reports that one potential buyer is a Tampa-based group of investors led by Joe Molloy. The now-CEO of JAM Sports Ventures is also a former managing partner of the New York Yankees.
But that’s not all. A member of the DeBartolo family — which owns the San Francisco 49ers — is also reportedly part of the group.
And yes, there are other prospective buyers. Area businessman Dan Doyle Jr. has signified interest, according to The Athletic. Plus, Tampa attorney Carter McCain is part of yet another group, the Tampa Bay Times also shared.
Plus, The Athletic reports that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and other team owners are pushing Sternberg to sell. Manfred is considering taking away some of the Rays’ revenue-sharing income — which comes out to around $60 million — to force a move.
Would the Rays move?
Molloy told the Times his group would pursue the current plan of playing in St. Pete as part of the redeveloped Gas Plant District. But a move could be in the cards if the deal doesn’t move forward or the team isn’t sold to Molloy’s group.
The Athletic reports that the MLB wants the team to stay in the Sunshine State. Over the past several years, we’ve seen campaigns to move the team to Ybor City or Orlando. But the Rays would need to replace the ~$600 million in public funding from St. Pete and Pinellas County.
Will Stu sell?
That’s what we don’t know right now. Sternberg and the Rays have yet to announce their decision. But we’ll keep you posted as always, so follow us on Instagram for even more Rays updates.
