The Tampa Bay Rays are trying to resolve their stadium issues as they seek a new, state-of-the-art facility. Their Tropicana Field lease ends in 2027, so they are looking for solutions that can come about soon. One of them may be to sell the team and allow it to move.

The Rays are generating interested buyers, some of whom would want to move the team, according to Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic. At least one buyer, DEX Imaging CEO Dan Doyle Jr., is interested in keeping the team in the Tampa area, which is the franchise's preference.

“Building a $1.2 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg or Tampa remains the Rays’ primary focus, however. Owner Stuart Sternberg is in talks with potential investors and other sources of capital that would help fund the project, the sources said,” wrote The Athletic.

Portland, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Montreal are the candidates for potential MLB relocation/expansion. The league won't start focusing on adding a 31st and 32nd team until the Rays and Oakland Athletics set their plans in place. Oakland is seeking relocation to Las Vegas but still has plenty of obstacles to clear.

The Rays, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is the most recent expansion team in MLB, starting play in 1998. The most recent relocation occurred in 2005 when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals.

Any city with the potential to get the Rays would certainly be interested. The club has the best record in 2023 with 34-13 and young stars like Wander Franco, Shane McClanahan and Josh Lowe along with a squad full of good veteran players.