PALMETTO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Palmetto on Friday to discuss a $2 million award to Manatee County Port Authority and gave his thoughts on baseball in Florida after the Tampa Bay Rays said they would no longer move forward on a new stadium project.
Rays owner Stu Sternberg posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch later said, “That bridge has been burned,” stating he would not continue to negotiate with the Rays ownership group.
DeSantis, who was talking about infrastructure projects at Seaport Manatee, was asked about the Rays and city standoff.
“My view is, (the Rays) can be a viable, good franchise,” the governor said. “I mean, they’ve had good baseball decisions that have been made over the years, with really significant financial challenges.”
DeSantis said when growing up on this side of the state, there were 10 times more baseball fans than hockey fans, but credited the Tampa Bay Lightning and its ownership for changing that.
Of the Rays, he said, “I think it can succeed, but it’s gotta have the right direction. You gotta have the right infrastructure.”
DeSantis said he has talked recently with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred about the Rays situation.
“He has given me assurances there is no way they want to leave Florida,” DeSantis said. “They are committed to it working here.”
