After years of ticking and tacking, the Tampa Bay Rays are finally getting that brand-new domed stadium! Now, everyone can put those rumors of playing half the season in Montreal to rest. This is a good day for Tampa Bay Rays fans. Tropicana Field was a monstrosity of a place for baseball. Even when teams were fighting to go to Tampa in the 90's, it was STILL a monstrosity of a stadium. This is a long time coming.
There is one problem, the new digs are still in St. Petersburg. That's a drawback since many Rays fans live in Tampa, which is 23 miles away. Also, the mayor of St. Petersburg wasn't a fan of the team leaving his city. The Ybor City preposition was a slam dunk, but several situations made the proposal fall through. Also, they wanted a glass ceiling. A GLASS CEILING! In that humidity, no thanks.
So, now that the Rays have their money-generating palace, does that mean that they will spend the cash to keep or chase after elite talent? Hopefully. Owner Stuart Sternberg isn't the big spender as Arte Moreno or Steve Cohen, but his team has been successful despite that. Also, the fact that Sternberg is being sued by his partners doesn't make this any better. When Sternberg did distribute the bag, it was to Wander Franco. Despite his talents on the field, off of it, Franco has allegedly made stupid choices. I won't tell you what happened, but Google it if you want to find out. The franchise has done everything in its power to distance themselves from Wander. With the allegations against him, Sternberg is probably cautious when it comes to giving a lot of money to a player. In a way, I don't blame him.
Well, Tampa Bay Rays faithful, it is finally coming to fruition on Opening Day 2028. You deserve this, soak it in.
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