Two of MLB’s longest-running stadium albatrosses are both showing meaningful progress, said league commissioner Rob Manfred.
As an owners meeting this week in New York focused heavily on labor negotiations with the MLB Players Association and related media matters, the ballpark development efforts for the Rays and A’s each commanded attention, too.
Most urgently, the Rays recently received city and county approval on a non-binding memorandum of understanding for a $2.3 billion ballpark. The club is now seeking to finalize a stadium deal and needs to firm up what could be wavering political sentiment. The Rays are committed to paying $1.3 billion toward the stadium, plus all cost overruns, with another $976 million currently slated to come from public funds.
Despite the work that still needs to be done, Manfred said he is encouraged by the ongoing progress by the Patrick Zalupski-owned Rays. The current timing projection for the team and local authorities is to get more formal documents completed by mid-July, a critical step as the Rays intend to open a new ballpark in early 2029.
“We’re hopeful,” he said. “There remains strong community support. We think the [local] polling runs about 60-40 in favor of the stadium. And we’re hopeful that they get over the next hurdle.”
