Patrick Zalupski has officially taken control of the Tampa Bay rays. MLB owners unanimously approved his purchase of $ 1.7 billion from Stuart Sternberg at the end of September. Zalupski is planned for a press conference on Tuesday, but it seems that an important decision has already been made.
President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander remains in his role as the best baseball director of the team.
Neander became a member of the organization for the first time as a baseball operations trainee in January 2007 and kept several titles before he was promoted to the top job in February 2018. The rays are 668-526 (.559 winning percentage) in the eight seasons since then and went to the play-offs five times, including reaching the World Series in 2020.
Manager Kevin Cash – the longest permanent manager in the Majors – and most of his coaching staff is also expected to return. Assistant who touches coach Brady North has reportedly had an alternative role within the organization. The rays reached .251/.313/.401 as a team this last season and finished 15th in scored points (714).
Now that Zalupski has taken control of the organization, various important decisions must be given priority.
The rays must secure a new stadium
Tropicana Field was unusable this last season after the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Milton, forcing the team to look for options elsewhere. An agreement was reached to use George M. Steinbrenner Field, the home of the Yankees’ Class -A Tampa Tarpons, but it only dealt with the 2025 season. Repairs to Tropicana field are expected to be completed on time for the rays to return next spring.
The team’s agreement with the city runs through the 2028 season. Although it remains possible that an extension of a species will be reached, it seems likely that Zalupski and the Executive Advisory Group that he assembles will explore options to finance and build a new stadium.
Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field and parts of Tampa not alone, but it caused damage to Sternberg’s efforts to have a new stadium built. There was an agreement for a complex of $ 1.3 billion that would include a hotel, offices and retail space around the stadium and help revitalize part of the center of Tampa. City officials would be planned to vote for $ 600 million in financing for the project, but when that vote was delayed, this caused considerable changes in the timeline and costs.
The increased costs have only fueled a fast relationship between Sternberg and the city, while eventually contributed to his final decision (and the public pressure he received) to sell the team. It is unclear what kind of relationship Zalupski has with city officials or how that will influence the efforts to obtain public financing for a new project.
The rays must expand Junior Caminero
The organization does not spend great on the payroll. They never have; It is the characteristic of a franchise that seems to win, even though it is pronounced by almost every other team. There is no way to know if that trend will continue under Zalupski. Until the team makes a number of major signing sessions, it is nothing more than hope.
The obvious place to start with is the third Honkman Junior Caminero. This year’s 22-year-old hit .264/.311/.535 (131 Ops+) with 45 hours and 110 RBI, while he went to his first All-Star match (where he also set up a show during the Home Run Derby, the second ended to Cal Raleigh).
Caminero has two years of team control before he reaches arbitration, but there is no reason why the rays are not allowed to sign him now. Finding a suitable similar is where things become difficult. Two players, however, appear as a starting point, based on their age and early production: Brewers Outfielder Jackson Chouio and Red Sox Infielder/Outfielder Cedanne Rafaela.
Milwaukee and Chouio agreed with an eight-year extension of $ 82 million before he even made his MLB debut. Boston signed Rafaela for an eight -year -old deal of $ 50 million.
Last summer, Boston also signed outfielder Roman Anthony for an extension of $ 130 million of $ 130 million.
Eight years seems the right place to start for Caminero, who would eventually buy out three free agents. A deal in the middle between Chouio ($ 10.25 million AAV) and Anthony ($ 16.25 million) would bring Caminero to $ 114 million during those eight years. The AAV bumps to $ 15 million would push the total value to $ 120 million. Add a club option or two, plus some incentives, and the rays must be able to work out an agreement to keep their franchise cornerstone in the long term.
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