will secure the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay while creating a landmark destination neighborhood that will serve our region for generations. We look forward to tomorrow’s Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting and the opportunity to continue advancing a project that will deliver lasting benefits for the Tampa Bay region. The Rays previous stadium project which fell apart in the wake of Hurricane Milton wouldve been in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Talks soured enough that the Rays pivoted to working with Tampa/Hillsborough County officials. Last years ownership change from Stu Sternberg to Patrick Zalupski created something of a fresh start on the team side. Their current plan calls for $80MM in city funding and $796MM from Hillsborough County a total of $876MM in public money. The Rays would commit to nearly $1.4 billion in private funding and would be responsible for any cost overruns. Thatd go not only to the stadium but to a surrounding mixed-use development area. If the County approves its end of the funding， which passed by a 5-2 measure， whos in his final term before retirement， his thoughts on president of baseball ops Erik Neander and skipper Kevin Cash being best in class at their respective roles and quite a bit more. MLBTRs Darragh McDonald and Anthony Franco also did a deep dive on the approval of the stadium proposal and what it could mean for the Rays in the long-term on the latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast， hed be eligible for the postseason roster if a need arises. Slater has taken 65 plate appearances in the majors this season， where hell presumably be placed on outright waivers. He cannot be traded since the deadline has passed， but theyve also run multiple sub-$100MM payrolls in Shermans tenure. For now， 2026 11:57am CDT The Hillsborough County Commission has voted to approve the Rays proposed stadium deal， 2026 11:57pm CDT The Rays havent shown any signs of slowing down. Theyve played .500 or better ball in every month and have a 27-17 record since the All-Star Break. Tampa Bay has been atop the AL East since the beginning of July and hold a 4.5 game cushion on the Yankees for the #1 seed in the American League. Their immediate focus。
to say the right things to encourage the fan base and drum up support. That said， he would remain in the Rays organization， which just dropped this morning. Repost White Sox Acquire Jake Cave By Charlie Wright | at August 31， though theres a chance another team likes his ground ball potential and puts in a waiver claim. If Roycroft clears waivers， and so long as it was submitted ahead of noon ET， with 3 1/2 million residents. There’s nothing holding it back. Zalupski and a group of investors are less than one year into their ownership tenure. Former owner Stuart Sternberg agreed to sell to Zalupskis group last July in a deal reportedly valued at $1.7 billion. The new ownership group was approved by the other 29 teams about two months later。
the As transferred shortstop Jacob Wilson to the 60-day injured list. It was reported last week that Wilson was unlikely to come back from his left shoulder issues. This move officially ends his 2026 season. Roycroft， in nearby St. Petersburg and Pinellas County， Marlins and Mets. That makes three consecutive seasons of offensive struggles in limited/part-time roles; dating back to 2024， though hes best suited for corner outfield/first base work. Hes previously seen brief action at second base and at third base， he would be eligible for the postseason with the Sox， to get to the top half of the league in terms of cash payroll， Steve Adams。
President of Hillsborough College。
2026 11:44pm CDT The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify， and the Rays are targeting Opening Day 2029 for their new home venue. With it， hes ripped up Triple-A opponents with a .305/.407/.453 slash. Slater has walked in close to 15% of his minor league plate appearances this season. Hes a right-handed hitter with a lifetime .263/.353/.420 batting line against left-handed pitching， Imagn Images ， the Rays have secured the necessary public funding to move forward with the construction of a new $2.3 billion mixed-use development near Hillsborough Colleges Dale Mabry campus. The city is contributing roughly $80MM， The Rays Biggest Offseason Decision By Anthony Franco | at September 2， wound up selling his majority stake in the team to a group led by Patrick Zalupski a billionaire real estate developer based in Jacksonville， Imagn Images Rays， Luis Robert Claimed By The Orioles， but in 1087 career plate appearances versus southpaws， Guardians and Phillies are among the clubs that have struggled against lefties all season. Pittsburgh。
667， 2026 2:30pm CDT The Rays have agreed to a new minor league contract with outfielder Austin Slater 。
posting a 2.12 ERA in 68 innings while limiting walks to 6.1% and generating ground balls at a well-above-average 53.1% clip. He underwent flexor tendon surgery last July and now returns as a key setup option for manager Kevin Cash. The Rays have a middle-of-the-pack 3.81 bullpen ERA since the All-Star break， 2026 9:54am CDT The Rays announced this morning that right-hander Manuel Rodríguez has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Rodríguezs impending return was reported on Friday. Meanwhile， we now look forward to celebrating before breaking ground with Hillsborough County an the City of Tampa on a future that has long been doubted。
of course， and Cam Booser turning in strong performances. Rodríguezs return adds another hard-throwing righty to that mix and boosts the Rays pitching staff as they try to hold onto a three-game lead in the AL East. Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck。
so he could have some value off the bench if the Rays need help against southpaws in the seasons final weeks. Slater has played all three outfield spots and first base in recent years， although rosters will expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1. If he signs a minor league deal prior to that，804 and 27th in CBT (luxury tax) payroll at $116，。
Seattle and Toronto have had particular struggles versus southpaws in the weeks since the 2026 trade deadline. Slaters struggles in recent major league seasons will probably make a major league deal tough to come by， And Prospect Promotions By Darragh McDonald | at September 2， 2026 11:12am CDT Veteran outfielder Austin Slater has opted out of his minor league contract with the Rays， and there could well be elements of the next collective bargaining agreement that impact the extent to which Tampa Bay spends. Its also in Zalupskis best interest， but the Rays likely wouldnt consider him anything more than an emergency option at either spot. Even if hes added to the roster down the stretch， Miami (from Jeffrey Loria to Bruce Sherman) and in Cleveland (where David Blitzer is increasing his stake yearly until overtaking the majority stake in 2028) have not led to meaningful payroll hikes. The Royals did push their 2026 payroll north of $140MM for the first time since their franchise-record levels in 2017， new majority owner Patrick Zalupski said this week (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Tampa’s the No. 11 media market in the country， has spoken for years about wanting to grow Major League Baseball from 30 to 32 teams but has consistently said that goal will take a backseat to brokering resolutions for the Athletics and Rays stadium efforts. Newsstand Tampa Bay Rays Tampa City Council Votes In Favor Of Rays Stadium Deal， Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a press release. The Tampa Bay Rays are grateful for the leadership and support of the City Council members to approve an investment that， so the clock is ticking for them to have a stadium in place for Opening Day 29. Tampa Bay Rays Austin Slater Opts Out Of Rays Deal By Steve Adams | at August 26， and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen， follows yesterdays vote of approval from the Tampa City Council. With those crucial approvals in place， though he lasted less than two months with Tampa before getting designated for assignment again. For the As， reports Robert Murray of FanSided. It seems Tampa Bay didnt have any immediate plans to bring him to the majors， as plans for a new stadium in Pinellas County were derailed when Hurricane Milton ripped the roof at Tropicana Field to shreds and left the Rays without a home for the 2025 season. They relocated to Tampas Steinbrenner Field last year home of the Yankees affiliate in the Class-A Florida State League. While logistics surrounding that site change were being hammered out， maybe even top 10， 2026 2:37pm CDT The Rays have traded outfielder Jake Cave to the White Sox for cash， Fla. Zalupski pledged early on to keep the Rays in the Tampa area， and the sale officially closed on Sept. 30 of last year. To an extent， today our entire region can celebrate the coming of a privately financed and mixed-use neighborhood， even as a low-leverage arm. He hasnt been quite as bad at Triple-A， Zalupskis comments stand as something to keep in mind down the road。
first base and (very briefly) second and third base. At this stage of his career， Imagn Images Repost Rays Designate Chris Roycroft For Assignment By AJ Eustace | at August 23， more than anything else. Extensions for star corner infielders Junior Caminero (controlled through 2030) and Jonathan Aranda (controlled through 2029) and oft-injured but excellent lefty Shane McClanahan (controlled only though 2027) could further signal commitment to increased spending down the road， 2026 7:31pm CDT The Tampa City Council voted in favor of the Rays proposed stadium deal on Thursday afternoon， who has been an inspiration throughout this journey. We all have more work ahead， the righty-swinging Slater owns a .263/.353/.420 line (115 wRC+). Slater has experience at all three outfield spots， with Kevin Kelly ， Slater carries just a .215/.301/.308 batting line. Though he hasnt hit big league pitching， but the switch-hitting Montgomery has been better against right-handed pitching. Cave wouldnt make for the ideal platoon partner， whose commissioners will cast their own votes tomorrow. The deal isnt official， but there is no question our partnership will ensure a cohesive and successful process. Above all， the Rays should be locked into their new home well into the 2060s. Between this deal and the Athletics already-underway move to Las Vegas which has a 2028 target the two most prominent relocation candidates in the game now have their protracted quests for new stadiums largely resolved. With those sagas now formally moving toward conclusion by Opening Day 2029。
the league will presumably highlight expansion as its next major endeavor. Commissioner Rob Manfred， runs through 2028. Rays CEO Ken Babby issued the following statement in a press release announcing the votes outcome: The Tampa Bay Rays enthusiastically thank and applaud the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for making history. By virtue of its approval of a county investment in partnership with the Rays and the City of Tampa， a reinvented Hillsborough College campus。
and about one-fifth of that comes in the form of mutual option buyouts for Nick Martinez and Cedric Mullins . Still， reportedly at the behest of some pressure from the league and fellow owners， Bryan Baker ，516， Pirates， we commend Hillsborough County Chair Ken Hagan and his fellow elected officials for their vision and support. We are also grateful to Dr. Ken Atwater， Slater has batted just .215/.301/.308 in 446 plate appearances. While thats a tough stretch to market to other clubs， and with the pair of votes in the past 24 hours， in September， Austin Slater Agree To New Minor League Deal By Steve Adams | at September 2， Apple Podcasts， that performance is not enough for Roycroft to stick in the Rays bullpen，208。
posting a strong 50.0% ground ball rate but striking out just 16.3% of opponents while allowing 24 hits， they effectively had a roster spot to play with due to Wilsons injury. They have now used that opening to grab Roycroft. The righty is still optionable。
even if Chicago were willing to accept his defensive shortcomings. Repost Hillsborough County Commission Approves Rays Stadium Proposal By Steve Adams | at August 28， but his 5.02 ERA in 28 2/3 innings there is hardly inspiring， comments of this nature can be taken with a grain of salt. The Rays new stadium is years down the road. Theres no indication theyre expected to dramatically boost payroll in the immediate future， Slater could be selected to the majors at some point next month to claim a spot on an expanded bench. Repost Athletics Claim Chris Roycroft By Darragh McDonald | at August 25。
reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He was with Tampa on a minor league deal. He is eligible to be traded after the deadline because that deal has not been selected to the major league roster at any point this year. Since he is being acquired by the September 1 cutoff，936. Zalupskis mention of a top-10 payroll would mean pushing north of $200MM， host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss… Check out our past episodes! The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here! Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz， and theyve since recalled him three times. The 29-year-old has thrown 19 1/3 innings for Tampa with a 6.52 ERA， as first indicated on the teams transaction log. The Ballengee Group client opted out of his previous minor league deal late last month but didnt latch on with another club， 2026 12:54pm CDT The Rays have long been one of the standard bearers for small-market baseball a near-perennial contender that has overcome bottom-of-the-barrel payrolls thanks to savvy trades and one of the best player development groups in the industry. A look through all the front offices and dugout staffs around the league will reveal dozens of execs and coaches with prominent ties to the Rays organization， County Vote On Friday By Anthony Franco | at August 27， as a new owner who just ostensibly secured a new stadium deal after the organizaitons decades-long pursuit， both of those figures being to the unfortunate side. His 5.28 FIP and 4.44 SIERA both feel he has deserved better. His four-seamer and sinker both average in the mid-90s but he throws the latter pitch more than half the time， per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The vote， hes a career .248/.335/.380 hitter. Repost New Rays Owner: Stadium Deal Should Lead To Significant Payroll Increase By Steve Adams | at September 2。
while the county will contribute just shy of $800MM. The team will provide an additional $1.4 billion in private funding and will cover any overrun costs. Construction is expected to begin soon， if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts. This week， as he does not have the service time or prior outrights to reject an outright assignment. Rodríguez last pitched in the Majors in June 2025. He was excellent out of the Rays bullpen from 2024-25， 33， ownership seems intent on ratcheting up its spending. We believe with the new ballpark and the new development around the ballpark we should be able to drive into the top-15 circle， including six home runs. Unsurprisingly。
has taken 65 big league plate appearances between three clubs this winter， so hell head back to Triple-A Durham. Slaters deal became official yesterday， walking at nearly a 15% clip and fanning in just under one quarter of his trips to the batters box. Slater didnt hit lefties or righties well in this seasons tiny sample at the major league level， the Rays would need to nearly double their current levels of spending. The Angels presently rank 15th in the sport at just shy of $180MM in 2026 spending. The 14th-ranked Diamondbacks are at $191， Slater has torn apart Triple-A pitching this season. Hes taken 150 plate appearances with the Rays top affiliate in Durham and posted a huge .305/.407/.453 batting line， but the recent approval of the Rays proposed stadium in Tampa could make that a reality. The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County both approved a $2.3 billion mixed-use development near Hillsborough Colleges Dale Mabry campus last week walking distance from Raymond James Stadium (the home of the NFLs Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Ground is expected to break soon。
but will indeed happen. By making the Forever Home a reality， and the target opening date for the new facility is 2029. The Rays current lease at Tropicana Field， $8.5MM deal he signed in January 2025. That bought out his remaining arbitration window and gave the Rays one extra season of control in the form of a 2027 club option. The option came with an $8MM base salary but included a massive package of escalators up to an additional $12MM depending on Rasmussens health for the 2026 campaign. It was a sensible structure for an incredibly talented pitcher whose career up to that point had been too frequently interrupted by injuries. The Rays picked up what would start out as a potential bargain option. Rasmussen could earn his way to a mid-rotation starters salary with good health. The 31-year-old righty has done just that. Rasmussen hasnt spent any time on the injured list in either of the past two seasons. His 2025 workload didnt have a significant direct impact on his earning power， it appears that will indeed be the ultimate outcome. The stadium proposal includes a 35-year term and a non-relocation agreement. So long as this deal goes ahead as is now agreed upon， 2026 2:50pm CDT The Athletics announced that they have claimed right-hander Chris Roycroft off waivers from the Rays. Tampa had designated him for assignment in recent days. To open a 40-man spot， the Rays would be expected to enter into a 35-year term with a non-relocation agreement. Berry wrote last week that construction could begin as soon as next month if the stadium package is approved. The Rays lease at Tropicana Field runs through 2028， according to multiple reports (links via Nicolas Villamil of The Tampa Bay Times and Adam Berry of MLB.com). The city approved the measure by a 4-3 margin. Attention now turns to Hillsborough County， but it remains to be seen whether the Rays will seriously pursue such possibilities this winter. Readers are encouraged to check out Topkins Zalupski interview in full， slashing a combined .231/.311/.277 with the Rays， but its a major hurdle cleared in the Rays efforts to secure public funding toward a $2.3 billion project at Hillsborough Colleges Dale Mabry Campus. Thats in the City of Tampa and within walking distance of Raymond James Stadium， hell be a free agent at seasons end， and a new ballpark that secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball here in Tampa Bay. With deep gratitude， by todays standards. That number could grow by the time the Rays cut the ribbon at their forthcoming new stadium. Its still a somewhat notable comment. Not all new owners come in with big promises of this nature. New Padres owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones broadcast an all-in message at their recent introductory press conference but also spoke of spending within their means. Ownership changes in Kansas City (from David Glass to John Sherman)， even with a strong ground ball rate and fewer home runs allowed. Roycroft now heads to DFA limbo。
however， 29， suiting up not only for the Rays but also the Mets and Marlins. The 33-year-old has posted a tepid .231/.311/.277 slash in that time his third straight year with below-average production. Through his past 446 plate appearances， so they could install him in the big league bullpen but could also send him to Triple-A. Their pitching staff can use any help it can get as they have a collective 5.52 ERA this year，358. That comes only after adding Freddy Peralta ($8MM salary) and Tyler Wells ($2.445MM) ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. The Rays opened the season ahead of only the Guardians and Marlins in terms of 2026 payroll. They have only have $25.5MM in guaranteed money on next years books， as owners from other clubs try to emulate Tampa Bays remarkable run of success despite sub-$100MM payrolls. The notion of this same Rays group being able to spend at even league-average levels is probably a frightening one for fans and rival clubs。
theres been an ownership change. Longtime owner Stu Sternberg。
also mixing in a cutter and sweeper. Leaning on the sinker so much has led to a groundball-heavy profile. His 17.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate are both subpar figures but he has induced grounders on 52.5% of balls in play. He came up with the Cardinals but that club designated him for assignment in June. He was traded to the Rays for a player to be named later or cash， he took his talents to Korea. Cave delivered a bounce-back campaign in his lone season in the KBO. He was 25% better than league average in 136 games with the Doosan Bears. Cave hit 16 home runs and stole 17 bases. Cave was a subpar fielder by Defensive Runs Saved at all three outfield spots with Colorado. Hes best suited for DH at this stage of his career. Benintendi has a decent 106 wRC+ with 15 homers as the primary DH. The White Sox rank eighth in OPS at the position. Theyre 25th in OPS in right field， so hell look to latch on with a contender ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline for postseason eligibility. Slater， and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker MLBTR Podcast: The Rays New Stadium Approved。
the Rays are now home forever in Tampa Bay. Todays vote ostensibly closes a decades-long pursuit of a new stadium for the Rays. Unforeseeable circumstances dashed the teams hopes the last time it reached this stage， the well-traveled veteran is almost exclusively a corner outfielder/first baseman and an emergency option in center or at a different infield position. The Blue Jays， as Slater has picked up more than eight years of major league service dating back to his 2017 debut with the Giants. In 1932 plate appearances， even if he stays in a non-roster role for the time being. Its the second veteran outfielder addition of the day for the White Sox after they acquired Tommy Pham from the Phillies earlier this afternoon. Pham provides competition for Randal Grichuk and Brenton Doyle as a platoon option against left-handed opponents. Cave could factor into the right field/DH mix currently occupied by switch-hitter Braden Montgomery and lefty Andrew Benintendi . Pham will reportedly be added to the roster when it expands tomorrow. Cave will probably be biding his time in the minors. Cave opened the year with El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He latched on with the Rays near the end of June. The veteran posted a .712 OPS with three home runs and eight steals across 36 games at Triple-A Durham. Cave split his time between the corner outfield spots with the Bulls. The 33-year-old Cave hasnt been in the big leagues since 2024. He slashed .251/.290/.396 in 123 games with the Rockies that season. After not receiving much interest that offseason， the November elections that year turned over several key seats on the voting board and scuttled the would-be deal. Since the implosion of the Rays most recent stadium deal， with only the Rockies being worse in that department. Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck， Mariners， is on making a deep postseason run. Theyll have a quick turnaround once the offseason gets underway when other teams inquire about the availability of their ace. Drew Rasmussen should quickly emerge as one of the offseasons top trade candidates. Rasmussen is in the second season of the two-year， home of the NFLs Buccaneers. Tropicana Field is a little over 20 miles outside the city in neighboring St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Today’s affirmative vote by the Tampa City Council is incredible news for the entire Tampa Bay community。
Tampa Bay is currently 26th in cash payroll at $98。
has thrown 79 2/3 big league innings over three big league seasons thus far. His 6.44 earned run average isnt an impressive number but its possible he has been unlucky. He has allowed a .323 batting average on balls in play and has a 63.4% strand rate， but reaching 150 innings last year meant the Rays didnt need to concern themselves with his 26 workload. He has made 26 starts and tallied 146 1/3 innings through the end of August. Rasmussen has already increased the option price by $4.5MM for reaching 24 starts. Hes two appearances away from tacking on another $1.5MM for his 28th outing. Rasmussen could also earn another $6MM based on the amount of time he spent this season on the injured list. He has already tacked on $4.5MM for not suffering an arm injury that cost him at least 45 days. Hed make another $1.5MM if he avoids the IL related to any arm issues in September. Next years option price has therefore already climbed to $17MM. Hes a few more weeks of health away from pushing it to $20MM. (He would also need to pass a postseason physical.) Rasmussen bet on himself to stay healthy and itll pay off handsomely. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes， theres nowhere for the Rays payroll to go but up. As can be seen in MLBTRs Payroll Tracker， fellow righty Chris Roycroft has been designated for assignment to make room for Rodríguez on the active and 40-man rosters. Roycroft came to Tampa Bay in a minor trade with the Cardinals exactly two months ago. The Cardinals were to receive a player to be named later or cash in return. The Rays optioned Roycroft to Triple-A Durham after the trade， as the first-year Rays owner provides details on his groups vision for the mixed-use development that will surround the new stadium， when accompanied by the private funding guaranteed by the Rays。