Rays asked to declare stadium decision by Sunday

The Tampa Bay Rays have until Sunday to declare whether they want to commit to the construction of a $1.3 billion stadium originally voted on in July.

Pinellas County Court Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters issued a letter on Monday to Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman requesting a decision from the team.

Last week, Auld and Silverman wrote a letter to the County Commission that suggested the team would not agree to a deal for a new stadium and is "ready to work on a new solution" in the area.

The Rays wrote in the Nov. 19 letter that a new stadium would not be completed in time for the 2028 season, while opening a stadium the following year would be too expensive. The team also wrote that it has spent over $50 million toward building the new stadium, but the county has allegedly "suspended work on the entire project."

"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 wrote.

"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."

Peters shot back at Auld and Silverman in her letter, calling the team's claim that completing a ballpark in 2029 would be too expensive a "fallacious statement." She added that the Rays are responsible for covering any extra costs that may arise with the project.

Peters also rebutted the Rays' argument that a completed stadium in 2028 is unattainable, noting that the county's deadline for issuing the bonds could be as late as March 31, 2025.

However, no bonds will be issued in the near future. The Pinellas County Commission voted 6-1 on No. 19 to put off its final decision on whether to approve the bonds until Dec. 17.

If the Rays do not provide an answer by the Dec. 1 deadline, Peters told the Tampa Bay Times she would discuss how to proceed with Assistant County Attorney Don Crowell and County Administrator Barry Burton.

Regardless, the Rays will not play their home games next season at their normal St. Petersburg site after Tropicana Field was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton in early October. The team will instead welcome opponents to Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.

While it is unclear if the Rays will stay in the Tampa Bay area for the long run, Peters asserted the city and county remained committed to finalizing a deal with the team.

"Pinellas County has operated in good faith, working toward the stadium deal while balancing the needs of our community after back-to-back hurricanes," Peters wrote in her letter. "If the Rays want out of this agreement, it is your right to terminate the contract. Clear communication about your intentions will be critical to the next steps in this partnership."