Rays: Anywhere but the Trop

Winning is no longer enough for the Tampa Bay Rays, so team owner Stuart Sternberg says his team wants to consider all other location options for a new stadium to replace St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field.

"A Major League Baseball team's ability to compete, and quite frankly survive, rests on its ability to attract fans and businesses to its ballpark,” Sternberg said during a brief news conference Monday afternoon. “Our customers are our fans. We need to be in a location that is convenient for our fans to reach, and we need to be in a place that makes us attractive to the region's businesses.”

The Rays' current lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2027, but Sternberg is already certain of the ball club's future — the Rays' current relationship with downtown St. Petersburg will not last beyond that date. “We will consider any potential ballpark site in Tampa Bay,” he said.