The Tampa Bay Rays are one of a handful of MLB teams that recently changed ownership. Each of the clubs had varying circumstances, but those teams seem to be improving at varying degrees. Would the Rays be able to join the party?
The news that Tropicana Field’s roof is complete is a fantastic development for the Tampa Bay Rays franchise. With a roof officially in place, the ability to fix the interior damage should be a lot easier. The Rays can once again enjoy the privileges of playing in a major league stadium instead of a minor league stadium.
Most importantly, it represents the first sign that new ownership is delivering on lofty expectations.
Tropicana Field Roof Fixed in Early Win for New Rays Ownership
Exhausted with the Status Quo
Most Rays fans grew weary of the Stu Sternberg ownership tenure. He had owned the club for nearly 30 years, and many fans felt like he whiffed on many of his stated goals. Sure, he delivered a competitive team in an extremely loaded division, but there was much left to be desired. The stadium issue dogged the region for years, if not decades. Sternberg would show up infrequently and never seemed to invest in the payroll to the proper degree. That led to attendance issues and the Rays becoming a punch line for outside fan bases.
How sweet it is… pic.twitter.com/Sqh9LwTi9A
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) November 21, 2025
It became too much, and Sternberg eventually sold the team to a group of Florida businessmen. That seemed to quell fears that a new owner would relocate the franchise to Nashville, or possibly even Montreal.
New Owner Smelling Like a Rose
Enter Patrick Zalupski and his gang. They took over at a seminal time and with little margin for error. The clock was ticking on repairs to Tropicana Field because of the extensive damage suffered during Hurricane Milton last fall. The organization needed to have clarity about where they would be playing their home games. The roof material was produced overseas, and the potential for cost overruns seemed high because of associated tariffs on such products. Plus, the outside weather in Florida needed to cooperate during the repairs. A lot needed to go right in order to meet the tight deadlines.
All in all, everything worked out rather smoothly. The city of St. Petersburg deserves major plaudits for getting the logistics figured out. Most importantly, Zalupski delivered what he promised during his opening press conference when he said, “I think in the short term, we’re really excited to get back there.”
Zalupski Deftly Navigates His First Storm
The Tropicana Field repairs are the first major victory for the new owners. It makes sense because Zalupski has a background in building homes and construction. If there is anyone who could solve the Rays’ long-standing stadium issues, then it could be this guy. Zalupski is doing a great job managing the situation and knows that people like chief executive officer Ken Babby can be a major asset.
Babby is also the owner of two minor league clubs, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins Triple-A affiliate) and the Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland Guardians Double-A affiliate). Babby plans to apply his experiences with those teams to modernize the Rays. This group recently hosted a meet-and-greet with fans in the area. What other owner in baseball does that in the middle of November?
Ultimately, the win-loss record will matter more than anything, but these are solid first steps in building trust with the community. Now comes the difficult part. Finding a site to build a long-term stadium will be challenging, and the clock is ticking once again.
Main Photo Credit: © Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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