I would absolutely hate this as a Floridian.

The Tampa Bay Rays have been absolutely incredible this season, currently sitting with a flashy 34-14 record and are in first place in the AL East. But despite the greatness that’s happening on the field, the franchise is reportedly up for sale, and depending on who ends up purchasing the team, the Rays could sadly be relocating out of Tampa Bay.

There are several potential buyers who have interest in purchasing the Rays, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. One of them is Dan Doyle Jr., who is the CEO of DEX Imaging and also a native of Tampa Bay. On paper, that sounds great, but here’s the problem.

Reports have multiple ownership groups showing interest in buying the Rays, and the latest update from Rosenthal highlights how the organization could actually be relocating out of Tampa Bay if one of the groups are able to purchase it.

“The team also is drawing interest from groups that would relocate the club to one of the cities that is a candidate for major-league expansion,” reported Rosenthal.

Currently, the Rays are in the process of attempting to build a $1.2 billion ballpark (the desired path for current owner Stuart Sternberg), however, things haven’t gone according to plan.

“The Rays would want money from the city and/or county. The state of Florida likely would not contribute; Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes using taxpayer dollars to build sports facilities for professional teams,” wrote Rosenthal.

At least one local businessman is trying to buy the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and @Chandler_Rome.

The team also is drawing interest from groups that would relocate the club.

More details:https://t.co/McyPXbEPmc

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 21, 2023