New Ownership Group Provides Breath of Fresh Air, Optimism for Rays Future
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The Tampa Bay Rays may not have qualified for the MLB postseason in 2025, but they have been garnering a lot of headlines in recent weeks. That is courtesy of the new ownership group that is officially taking over the franchise.
The group is led by Lead Investor Patrick Zalupski, Co-Lead Bill Cosgrove, and new CEO Ken Babby. There are a lot of other people involved, but those three are the biggest backers, the ones providing so much optimism about what the future holds for the Rays.
In their introductory press conference held on Oct. 7, a lot was spoken about during the 30-minute session. For the fan base, easily the biggest takeaway is the plans for relocation, or lack thereof.
Tampa Bay is where the ownership group plans to keep the team. A county location hasn’t been locked in yet, but they made sure to let it be known that keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay is their priority.
New Rays ownership group has grand plans for franchise
The next order of business, naturally, was discussing plans for a new stadium. An aggressive approach is being taken in that regard. Zalupski has shared a timeline that would mean the stadium being built and operational for the 2029 season.
Also revealed is the plan to make the stadium a fully enclosed dome. It will be non-retractable and climate-controlled. In addition to baseball games, concerts will be held at the venue as well.
Having a new stadium to play in is the clear goal. The group was asked about potentially extending the lease at Tropicana Field, their current home ballpark, but that isn’t where their focus is. All efforts will be put toward securing and building a new stadium, not extending their lease.
Key members of the new ownership group: Bill Cosgrove, Patrick Zalupski and Ken Babby https://t.co/0j34SD7ER7 pic.twitter.com/OQIxLELZV4
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 7, 2025
There are grand plans for the new ballpark. What the Atlanta Braves have done with Truist Park in Cobb County is considered the “gold standard” by Zalupski. Meetings have already been held with the Braves about how The Battery Atlanta came together and how the Rays can make their own version of it.
This should all have Tampa Bay fans excited about what the future holds. Getting a new stadium is a great way to rejuvenate people, especially after Hurricane Milton destroyed the dome at Tropicana Field, pushing the Rays to the spring training home of the New York Yankees for the 2025 season.
New ownership also means the potential for more spending on the roster. The Rays have always operated with a much smaller budget than their peers, especially in the American League East.
If more money is allotted for the Big League roster to even the playing field, they should be playoff contenders in no time.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.