ORL – For over a decade, Orlando-based groups have intermittently pursued the acquisition of a MLB team, despite Florida’s existing franchises grappling with attendance and revenue challenges. This endeavor gained renewed momentum on Wednesday when Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin introduced himself as the new face of the Orlando Dreamers. During a press conference in Orlando, Larkin unveiled renderings of a proposed $1.7 billion ballpark to be situated near SeaWorld.
Larkin emphasized that the Orlando Dreamers are open to securing a team either through MLB’s next expansion phase or by relocating an existing franchise, explicitly mentioning the Tampa Bay Rays as a potential candidate. He recounted discussions with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who highlighted the league’s desire for stability, referencing ongoing uncertainties surrounding both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics’ potential move to Las Vegas.
The future of the Rays in the Tampa Bay area remains uncertain. A comprehensive stadium deal is currently in limbo, and Tropicana Field suffered significant damage during Hurricane Milton. However, forthcoming developments are anticipated to provide clarity.
In November, when questioned about the possibility of granting the Rays permission to explore relocation options, Commissioner Manfred responded “We’re committed to the fans in Tampa Bay. I think given all that’s happened in that market, we’re focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay right now.” (Manfred, Nov. 2024)
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has refrained from commenting on any potential discussions with Orlando regarding the Rays. He has indicated plans to provide a transparent update on the status of the Rays’ situation during his upcoming State of the City address.
The Rays face a March 31 deadline to advance a previously established agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County to construct a $1.3 billion stadium on the current Tropicana Field site. Team officials have expressed concerns over escalating construction costs due to delays in public approvals, a postponed opening now slated for 2029, and the financial implications of being unable to utilize Tropicana Field following its roof loss during Hurricane Milton.
Under the terms of the deal, the Rays are responsible for covering all cost overruns but have not disclosed the additional funds required. For the 2025 season, the team plans to play at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field.
Jim Schnorf, co-founder of the Orlando Dreamers, indicated that if the Rays cannot finalize their stadium plans in the Tampa Bay area, Orlando would be prepared to offer an alternative.
So, that’s a lot of drama. In my opinion, just move the team to Orlando. That is clearly an ownership group that wants the team and invest money into making the team great. Also, one of the key issues with the Ray’s in St. Pete is attendance at the stadium. A lot of those issues would be solved if moved to Orlando because it would be in a prime location, near Disney World. It would be a tourist hotbed. It would make people like me who have no desire to go to Disney, have a reason to go, to see a ballgame (only when the Yankees are in town of course!). And, its only 90 minutes (without traffic of course) from Tampa Bay, so you could still keep those fans, as aforementioned by Manfred was a big deal.
At the end of the day, relocation is not the ideal solution, but it would fix a lot of the problems with the Rays while opening up a whole new fanbase to expand the game of Baseball.
