Examining the Blame Game and the Future of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are once again pointing fingers, but this time, at Pinellas County. In a recent interview on WDAE-AM, the team claimed that the county broke its commitment to the stadium deal, suggesting that everything since October has been a consequence of the county’s actions.
Really?
Maybe it’s time the Rays pointed the finger at themselves.
The Timeline Doesn’t Add Up
In my previous post on No Home Run, Is it time to move on from the Rays, I highlighted a crucial detail: there were only 21 days between the first County Commission meeting on October 29, 2024, where they deferred a vote on stadium bond funding, and when the Rays suddenly declared that project costs had risen too high for them to cover overruns. They didn’t even wait for the county to vote before deciding the deal was no longer viable. And now, they’re blaming the county for the collapse?
This isn’t just about a missed vote—it’s about whether the Rays were ever truly committed to following through.
The Rays Say “Lost Their Partner”
The Rays recently addressed the deal’s collapse, claiming that the organization had done everything it could.
“We lost our partner in this process….It was disappointing because we had spent years working toward this outcome.”
But who really walked away? The county didn’t reject the deal—they delayed a vote to get more clarity. Instead of working through those concerns, the Rays almost immediately declared the deal unworkable. That doesn’t sound like a team that lost a partner—it sounds like a team that had second thoughts and needed a scapegoat.
Commissioner Scott Pushes Back
Pinellas County Commissioner Scott, who has been a supporter of the deal, had sharp words for the Rays in response to their latest comments.
“If you can’t make a deal work with $600 million in public funding ($312.5 million from the county and $287.5 million from St. Pete) , then you’ve got a business model that’s not sustainable. That’s not something that public dollars are going to fix.
Scott’s comments strike at the core of the issue—how much more could the Rays have realistically expected? The county and city were already offering probably the largest handout of taxpayer resources to a stadium deal that made no economic sense, yet the Rays still backed out and are now trying to shift blame. If a franchise can’t make things work with that level of public investment, is the problem really with the county? Or is it with the team’s (and baseball’s) own financial model? The only way to pay millions to players and staff and still make millions for the owners is to get taxpayers to kick in -and get nothing back.
Why Is the Public Subsidizing a Private Business?
So this leads to the bigger question: Why is the public putting so much money into a private business?
This isn’t just any private business—it’s a Major League Baseball franchise, an industry that does not drive significant tourism or economic growth the way teams often claim. Study after study has shown that public funding for stadiums rarely, if ever, delivers the promised economic benefits. Fans attending games are largely local, meaning their money isn’t bringing in new dollars to the economy—it’s just shifting where they spend their entertainment budget.
Yet, despite this reality, the Rays were in line to receive $600 million in taxpayer money, 64 acres of public land, and a sweetheart deal where they wouldn’t pay rent or share revenue. Meanwhile, the team’s senior staff earns millions per year, and the players make even more.
So why are taxpayers expected to prop up a business that can’t stand on its own?
Are the Rays Preparing for a Lawsuit?
When a deal falls apart, there are usually two possibilities: either both sides work to fix it, or one side starts laying the groundwork for legal action. Given the Rays’ recent rhetoric, are they setting the stage for a lawsuit to avoid fulfilling their contract?
If the team’s business model truly isn’t sustainable, as Commissioner Scott pointed out, maybe that’s an issue for Major League Baseball to fix—not the taxpayers.
A Business That Wants Public Money Should Act Like a Partner
It’s one thing for a business to ask for public funding. It’s another to take the money, demand more, and then blame the very people who agreed to support you. If the Rays want the public to foot the bill for a major part of their business, they need to be transparent and accountable—not deflect responsibility when things don’t go their way.
Maybe instead of blaming others, the Rays should take a hard look in the mirror.
So, what’s really going on here? The Rays owe this community some honest answers.
