Overview

• A Patrick Zalupski–led consortium closed a $1.7 billion purchase last week, with Bill Cosgrove as co-chair, Ken Babby as CEO, Stu Sternberg remaining a minority owner, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies included in the deal.
• Ownership outlined a roughly 100-acre, Battery-style development anchored by a fully enclosed, fixed-roof stadium intended to open for Opening Day 2029.
• No site has been chosen, with evaluations underway across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and meetings scheduled with officials in Tampa and St. Petersburg; no subsidy figures were provided, though a public–private partnership was described as critical.
• Tropicana Field repairs are progressing with about half of the 24 roof panels slated to be installed by week’s end as the club targets an Opening Day 2026 return with a new roof, video board and sound system.
• The team’s use agreement at Tropicana Field runs through 2028, and leaders called talk of an extension premature while emphasizing non-interference in baseball operations and support for president Erik Neander.