2024-25 MLB Hot Stove

[#UnleashSean]

Just read an article in The Athletic about no team wanting to sign Anthony Rizzo, even at a bargain price.

He's only 35, but his recent injury history and limited production seem to have scared everyone away.

I'm having serious nostalgia for the fall of 2016 right now. How I miss that entire 40 days. That was a great senior year.

[MU82]

Downtown St. Pete is spectacular, and it would be such an awesome place for a ballpark, with tons of restaurants, bars and other things to do right there, as well as the ocean.

But there just aren't enough fans in St. Pete, and it's not easy to get there. If you're gonna have a team in the metro area, Tampa makes so much more sense.

[JWags85]

Downtown St. Pete is spectacular, and it would be such an awesome place for a ballpark, with tons of restaurants, bars and other things to do right there, as well as the ocean.

But there just aren't enough fans in St. Pete, and it's not easy to get there. If you're gonna have a team in the metro area, Tampa makes so much more sense.

First part totally agree.  Second part, actually don't agree.

Tampa proper is 350K, St Pete proper is roughly 270K.  Pinellas County (St Pete/Clearwater) is about 1MM, Hillsborough County, which is Tampa, is 1.4MM but a lot of that stretches way inland, 20-30 min to downtown Tampa with no traffic.  So its not like Tampa is heavily populated in a way that the greater St Pete area isn't.  Especially factoring in Bradenton/Sarasota which are much more accessible to St Pete than Tampa.

Where Tropicana Field is now (which is also right next to the proposed new stadium location) is 15 min from downtown Tampa, straight shot on 275.  Also 20 min from Bradenton and 30-40 to the greater Sarasota area.

If you want to argue downtown Tampa is more developed/more infrastructure/more of a total hub cause its closer to the airport and the Lightning/Bucs already play there, sure, I can buy that.  Tampa is more of a proper city downtown where St Pete is more of a laid back less developed beachside downtown.  But the Rays issues with attendance (outside of the terrible stadium) won't be solved by heading to Tampa, IMO.

Also, FWIW, despite technically living in St Pete, I prefer Tampa for a variety of reasons and living on the northern part of the St Pete area, we head to Tampa more often than we do to St Pete unless we want to do something on the water/the pier.

[MU82]

You're far closer to the situation than I am, Wags.

Given what you say, do you think the area is even a viable one for MLB?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Looks like the Rays owner just announced a rejection of the St. Pete's stadium plan.

[The Lens]

My son and I went to a Lightning game two years ago (wife and daughters were at Taylor Swift).  We were blown away.  It was last game of the regular season vs the hapless Red Wings and the place was nuts.  I used to have serioous distain for any  Hockey team in FLA (or the South, and west, lol) but I came away so impressed with the fans.  In that repsect I do see 82's point about Tampa vs. St Pete.  I have never been to a Ray's game but have driven past the Trop a lot.  The Bolts game seems like a great destination.         

[JWags85]

You're far closer to the situation than I am, Wags.

Given what you say, do you think the area is even a viable one for MLB?

Its hard to say.  On one hand, as a market in general?  Absolutely.  Plenty of people and growing, great weather (as it pertains to an entertainment district around the stadium). St Pete alone is probably too small, but like I said, its very close to 2 big affiliated metros.  I mean nobody is like "St Paul, MN is too mall for a team" when Minneapolis is right there to add to it.

On the other hand, attendance numbers don't lie.  They are bottom 5 every year despite having a consistently pretty good to very good team.  Its the same issue as Miami, for whatever reason, the regional nature of baseball just doesn't translate to snowbirds and transplants.  Empirically, support for the Rays dwarfs in comparison to the Bucs and the Lightning.  In random gear in stores, in random apparel seen walking around, etc...

But like I mentioned above, thats an issue if the stadium is in St Pete or if its in Ybor City or if its in Clearwater by where the Phillies facility is.  If Steinberg and crew think it makes sense to move the team to Nashville or the like, I get it.  But if people think (outside of affiliated business interests in the development of the stadium and district itself) that the stadium in Tampa makes a difference, I don't know if I agree.

This will be my 3rd MLB season since we moved in mid 2023, and Ive yet to go to a Rays game.  Though I'll catch at least 1 or 2 at Steinbrenner field cause it will be a fun experience.

[JWags85]

My son and I went to a Lightning game two years ago (wife and daughters were at Taylor Swift).  We were blown away.  It was last game of the regular season vs the hapless Red Wings and the place was nuts.  I used to have serioous distain for any  Hockey team in FLA (or the South, and west, lol) but I came away so impressed with the fans.  In that repsect I do see 82's point about Tampa vs. St Pete.  I have never been to a Ray's game but have driven past the Trop a lot.  The Bolts game seems like a great destination.         

Yea, goes to my point above with support.  I think a TON more people with no connection to hockey before have adopted the Lightning (for example my parents have good friends/neighbors from the MKE area, Connecticut, and KC who are all transplants and big Lightning fans).

But also, Amelie Arena is in an awesome downtown spot, close to the water, close to a bunch of bars and restaurants, etc...

Trop's pure location sucks.  Literally right next to the highway, though it is at the tail end of the main stretch of bars and restaurants in St Pete.  But a huge part of the plan for the new stadium was to emulate what you can find right within a block of a Bolts game.

[Shaka Shart]

Having a shitty stadium is quite effective at dissuading the casual fan. And the Trop is probably one of the shittiest.

[BM1090]

https://www.facebook.com/Brewers/posts/rep-the-wonder-kid-opening-day-only-get-a-limited-edition-chourio-t-shirt-with-s/1208313567324495/

Can't be in town for this game, but if anyone has these tickets I'd pay a pretty penny for this shirt.

Buy a ballpark pass for 39 for tickets to every game in April. Send someone to get you the shirt

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Here the articles I saw on the Tampa situation.

MLB commissioner, several owners pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell Rays as buyers eye team
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6189456/2025/03/09/commissioner-owners-pressure-rays-sale-mlb/

As he considers walking away from a stadium deal in St. Petersburg, Fla., Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg is being pressured to sell his team by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners, people briefed on the ownership-level conversations who were not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic.

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One of the groups interested in buying the Rays is the family of Edward DeBartolo Jr., which has roots in Tampa, three people briefed on the discussions said. Members of the DeBartolo family own the San Francisco 49ers, although Edward Jr. is no longer involved with that team. Former New York Yankees minority owner Joe Molloy is involved in the DeBartolo effort as well, but does not carry the same financial weight as DeBartolo.

The people briefed on the team's discussions also said Tampa businessman Dan Doyle Jr., who reportedly pulled out of a previous process to buy the Rays in 2023, is part of another group with recent interest.

MLB and the 49ers declined comment. Doyle and Molloy could not immediately be reached for comment...

MLB boss Rob Manfred reportedly pressuring Rays owner Stu Sternberg to sell team as stadium drama continues
Sternberg purchased the franchise for $65 million in October 2005

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-boss-rob-manfred-reportedly-pressuring-rays-owner-stu-sternberg-to-sell-team-as-stadium-drama-continues/

[tower912]

Detroit's pitching looks really good.  With injuries to Vierling and Meadows, as well as Jace Jung getting sent down, I have very little feel for what half of the other starting 8 is going to look like.  Or the batting order.   
 They went all in on Bregman and failed.   It is going to look like the first two thirds of last season all over again.  Good pitching, erratic fielding and hitting.

[Pakuni]

White Sox release Joey Gallo.
Terrible optics.

[Jockey]

White Sox release Joey Gallo.
Terrible optics.

Terrible mistake. They could have swapped him for a top prospect at the deadline.

[Pakuni]

Terrible mistake. They could have swapped him for a top prospect at the deadline.

Literally nobody said this.
The optics thing on the other hand ...

[GB Warrior]

Literally nobody said this.
The optics thing on the other hand ...

Being so bad you can't help the White Sox is not a sign from God to switch positions

[Jockey]

Literally nobody said this.
The optics thing on the other hand ...

Sarcasm, dude.

But people here (maybe you - I'm too lazy to look back at earlier comments) did say that maybe he could be swapped at the deadline which was never, ever going to be a thing.

[muwarrior69]

Having a shitty stadium is quite effective at dissuading the casual fan. And the Trop is probably one of the shittiest.

Oakland has a stadium that is available.

[Shaka Shart]

The word stadium is doing a lot of heavy lifting there

[WhiteTrash]

Maybe its coincidence, but MLB has two teams playing in minor league stadiums for the next two years. CWS' don't appear to be even worthy of a vote for stadium funding. Is there a real problem with MLB? I think there are media rights issues and maybe some teams without TV deals. Aa a casual fan, I don't understand why Miami can't draw flies to the new stadium or field a decent team.

I think MLB is entertaining expansion, but they appear to have more pressing issues.

But, I could be wrong.

[tower912]

To be fair, only one of those was planned.  Having the Trop damaged by a hurricane was not part of any plan.

[BrewCity83]

The Chicago Cubs currently have the worst record in all of Major League Baseball.

[The Sultan]

Maybe its coincidence, but MLB has two teams playing in minor league stadiums for the next two years. CWS' don't appear to be even worthy of a vote for stadium funding. Is there a real problem with MLB? I think there are media rights issues and maybe some teams without TV deals. Aa a casual fan, I don't understand why Miami can't draw flies to the new stadium or field a decent team.

I think MLB is entertaining expansion, but they appear to have more pressing issues.

But, I could be wrong.

1. Vastly uneven revenue distribution mostly due to reliance on local media deals.
2. Owners figuring out they can still make a bunch of $$ by keeping costs at rock bottom.
3. Continued weakness with national media deals.
4. Lack of vision by people running the game for how this may be fixed.

[WhiteTrash]

The Chicago Cubs currently have the worst record in all of Major League Baseball.

All is right in the world. 

[CreightonWarrior]

Well there's enough data out there now to extrapolate out a 0-162 season for the cubs. kraig is a failure.