ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Could Florida's error be a home run for Utah?
After bringing the NHL to the Wasatch Front, local leaders have made no secret about the desire to bring Major League Baseball to Salt Lake City. Now, a political mess in Tampa possibly opens the door for another team to look at Utah as a new home.
In a letter Tuesday to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, the Tampa Bay Rays said a new ballpark can't be delivered for the start of the 2028 season and that opening a ballpark in 2029 would be too expensive.
The deal to keep the team in St. Petersburg is now in serious jeopardy, increasing the chances that the franchise could pack its bags in search of a new city to play ball.
The Larry H. Miller Group is already deep into the process of developing approximately 93 acres of land in Salt Lake City's Power District, which is expected to include an MLB-ready stadium.
Smith Entertainment Group took advantage of similar uncertainty in Arizona to bring the NHL's Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City and rename them the Utah Hockey Club.
Back in February, ESPN insider Jeff Passan called Utah landing an MLB team "destiny," saying the state was the favorite to grab one of the league's two future expansion teams.
But why wait for expansion if the Rays are looking to move on a more advanced timeline?
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Adding to the uncertainty in Florida, Pinellas County Commissioners voted Tuesday 6-to-1 to delay its decision on bonds needed to fund the new stadium until at least Dec. 17.
Commissioners previously delayed the decision on Oct. 29, because they had questions about where the team would temporarily play after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field.
"As we have informed the county administrator and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the county’s failure to finalize the bonds last month ended the ability for a 2028 delivery of the ballpark," the Rays said in their letter.
The team continued, "As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone."
According to the Rays' letter, the team has told architects, builders, and consultants that the stadium agreement had not been honored by the county, and they have "suspended work on the entire project," including both the ballpark and the Historic Gas Plant District.
The team said it had spent more than $50 million on the project, and St. Petersburg and Pinellas County approved the agreement, but that investment is now in jeopardy because the county has not moved forward on the plan.
During the Tuesday meeting, commissioners generally said they won't be pressured by the Rays. They also said the stadium agreement between Pinellas County and the Rays "does not outline a specific timeframe for the county to issue bonds."
It's unclear if the stadium deal is now salvageable and if a majority of commissioners will vote for the bonds in the December meeting.
Two commissioners recently elected to the board both expressed displeasure with communication and the deal itself.
“If we really want to dive into the details of the Gas Plant District, I think this commission will find it’s a bad deal," said Commissioner Vince Nowicki.
Commissioner René Flowers was the lone vote against the delay and continue to vouch her support for the new stadium and Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment.
“I’m kind of seeing this dissipate before my eyes, and that is sad," she said.
Other commissioners — even those who approved the stadium deal in a July vote — expressed a desire to ask more questions about the deal's funding before proceeding with a vote on the bond. Some also criticized the Rays' communication and spirit of partnership with the county.
Though Rays Co-Presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman were in the room, neither chose to speak or answer questions from commissioners.
“I think the Rays’ strategy sucks, to be perfectly honest with you. I think it has for quite some time. They are horrible communicators, and I think they’re the most politically tone-deaf organization that I’ve ever met in my life," Commissioner Brian Scott, who voted for the stadium deal in July, said.
“If this fails, I don’t want this to be on our hands. I want it to be firmly on [Rays Owner] Stu Sternberg’s head if it fails, and I don’t want it to," he added.
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