Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg says the plan to split seasons between Florida and Montreal, starting in 2028, is the “only option” once their lease expires at Tropicana Field, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
“We are getting toward 2028 and you can’t snap your fingers and just have the stadium show up,” Sternberg told Topkin.
“It’s getting trickier and trickier by the year to get something done. This year certainly set things back, but fortunately we’ve got a strong group of people who work for us and we’ve got a very motivated group of people in Montreal who want us. And I think we have a plan that makes incredible sense. At least it does to me. And we’re going to try to see it through.”
The team’s lease at Tropicana Field expires after the 2027 season, and Sternberg said the team has not been approached by any local groups about building a stadium and/or buying the team. His primary focus remains on splitting campaigns with new open-air stadiums in Montreal and either St. Petersburg or Tampa, calling it the “only option in my mind.”
Sternberg said there’s been “tremendous progress” the past few months in the efforts to bring MLB back to Montreal with stadium plans and dealings with the group in Canada led by prospective partner Stephen Bronfman. The project would see major-league baseball played in Montreal for the first time since 2004 when the Expos were relocated to Washington as the Nationals.
“I’ve been not just encouraged, but really beyond pleased on how things are progressing up there,” he said.
And that’s a good thing, because as Sternberg says, it remains the club’s only option — for now.
“I’ll figure out what the next step is at that point,” he replied to being asked about what happens if the proposal falls through.
“But there’s no plan B right now.”
