Zalupski takes over Rays; establishes ‘hands-off’ policy

TAMPA, Fla. – For all practical purposes, this was a smooth transition, and one demanded by Major League Baseball. When Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, and Ken Babby appeared at an introductory news conference on Oct. 7 and emerged as the new ownership group of the Tampa Bay Rays, there was a feeling of comfort, calm, and tranquility.

Absent was the cantankerous and stormy relationship the previous owner, Stu Sternberg, had with municipal officials and especially with decision-makers in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. In the final months of his ownership, and a demand from commissioner Rob Manfred to sell the Rays that became louder, Sternberg’s capacity to form partnerships and forge possibilities of building a new stadium was about as secure as a leaf in a hurricane.

Now, Zalupski, a real estate developer from Jacksonville who purchased the team for $1.7 billion from Sternberg, said all the right things and pushed all the right buttons during his initial meeting with the media. That does not mean a new stadium, like a phoenix, will rise in the coming weeks somewhere in the greater Tampa area. At the same time, the approach appears to be genuine, to honestly serve the community, present a quality product on the baseball diamond, communicate, work closely with public officials and commence an era of good feeling.

To foster that spirit of cooperation, Jane Caster, the mayor of Tampa, and Ken Welsh, the mayor of St. Petersburg, were both in attendance. Each municipal leader represents a distinct area of the Tampa Bay region andis worthy of new stadium consideration.

“This is not just about ownership, but stewardship,” Zalupski said. “We recognize the deep responsibility we now carry. Our goal is to deliver a championship-caliber team on the field and a world-class experience for our fans.”

That said, development of a stadium site continues as a priority for the immediate future. At the same time, the overall plan remains to create a mixed-use surrounding area with shops, hotels and tourists’ amenities modeled after the Braves built Truist Park and the surrounding region. “(The Atlanta site), is the gold standard for us,” Zalupski said.

After Sternberg’s relationship soured with the city of St. Petersburg and the county of Pinellas, Welsh said he was finished with any effort at communication. In concert, he did not rule out opening a dialogue with a new ownership group. With Zalupski and his team now in control, Welsh told reporters he is willing to renew a dialogue. “After all, it’s been 40 years since we’re having this conversation,” he said.

With the Zalupski group now in control, exploration for a new stadium should commence in earnest. While not committing to either Pinellas County or Hillsborough County, a renewed spirit of commitment and cooperation was evident.

“We are confident we can get this done and I’m sure St. Pete is equally confident,” said Caster, the Tampa mayor. “You could say we’re in competition, but we do work together. That has been the goal, all along. That is to make sure that the Tampa Bay Rays stay in Tampa Bay.”

If Zaupski, as the face of the new ownership and Babby designated to handle the day-to-day operation, issues such as enhanced fan experience and logistical issues remain important to the new owners. From a baseball standpoint, where does that leave putting a competitive team on the field?

Zalupski made it clear he intends to be a “hands-off” owner and smiled, “in Erik and Kevin we trust.” That’s the reference to Erik Neander, the team’s president of baseball operations, and Kevin Cash, the field manager.

At this end-of-season meeting with the media last week, Neander made it clear the team, on the field, needs more production from a marginal group of hitters in the outfield and a consistent bullpen.

A few weeks ago and while new ownership was sought, rumors circulated that Neander would leave for a baseball-decision role with the Washington Nationals. After the Nats’ hired Paul Toboni from the Red Sox as their president of baseball operations, Neander settled back into a similar capacity with the Rays.

“As far as operations on the field, Erik spoke to that last week,” Zalupski said. “We have a self-imposed rule that none of us, the partners, are allowed to talk or have any input on the baseball operations.”

At this point, personnel decisions, game strategy, use of players, transactions, and salary negotiations all remain within the domain of Neander and Cash.

While the baseball side of this organization gets to work on improvement on the diamond, the new management team is keenly aware that the Rays enter the 2026 season with consecutive losing seasons. The last time that happened was four straight losing seasons, and that occurred from 2014 through the 2017 season. After those four losing seasons, Joe Maddon was fired, and Cash, the immediate hire, has remained the Rays’ field manager. For the 2026 season, Cash enters his 12^th season in guiding this franchise on the diamond.

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