TBNL: Rays ownership situation suddenly looks in question

Through all the turmoil surrounding the Rays’ efforts to get a new stadium in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, Stu Sternberg has remained steadfast in his intention not to sell the team.

Commissioner Rob Manfred and several owners are pushing Sternberg to change that stance, according to a report on Sunday from The Athletic’s Evan Drellich. Several prominent Tampa businesspeople have started assembling a potential ownership group, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan also reported Sunday, but there is no sense that they are close to any deal.

It’s unclear what kind of impact an ownership change — even one expedited by the league — might have on a potential new stadium in the Tampa area.

The current agreement between the team and Pinellas County expires at the end of March if the team fails to show sufficient progress in securing funding. Following the damage to Tropicana Field and the subsequent delay by the city council in approving public funding, the team has insisted that the overall project’s cost has risen. It appears realistic that the agreement could collapse. Tampa’s mayor, Kenneth Welch, has repeatedly stated that the city has no plans to renegotiate if it does.

As Passan notes, some members of a potential ownership group believe that exploring a stadium deal with neighboring Hillsborough County (where Tampa is located) might be the better solution. A key factor in the thinking centers on a new stadium’s accessibility, long one of the complaints about Tropicana Field.

Regardless of how things play out next with the Rays, this saga doesn’t end soon.

Dominant performances on the college mound

College baseball saw a pair of no-hitters over the weekend.

First, on Friday in Charlotte, junior right-hander Blake Gillespie led the 49ers to a win over James Madison, 5-0. Gillespie struck out 11 and allowed just one walk, who was promptly thrown out trying to steal second.

It was just the second no-hitter in Charlotte baseball history.

Then, on Saturday in Knoxville, six Tennessee Volunteers pitchers combined to shut down St. Bonaventure in a 12-0 victory. Junior left-hander Liam Doyle set the pace early, working 5.2 IP with 13 strikeouts and a pair of walks.

This was the fourth no-hitter in Volunteers history and first since 2000.

Meanwhile, the whole series between Coastal Carolina and East Carolina featured some gems on the mound. On Friday, East Carolina’s sophomore left-hander Ethan Norby struck out 19 to set a new American Athletic Conference record. Then, on Saturday, the Pirates were once again beating the Chanticleers behind a strong performance from Cameron Flukey when the broadcast caught some distracted fans in a moment that went viral over social media.

CPBL announces several foreign player moves

Former A’s right-hander Daniel Mengden found success playing overseas, first in Korea in 2021 and then last year in Taiwan. Mengden went 10-3 with a 2.86 ERA over 154 IP for the CTBC Brothers in 2024. The Brothers had re-signed him in January for the coming season.

The Brothers terminated Mengden’s contract this week after he failed a routine drug test for marijuana (which is illegal in Taiwan).

Venezuelan right-hander Nivaldo Rodriguez was signed to replace him. Rodriguez went 10-4 with a 2.16 ERA with the Fubon Guardians last year.

Veteran Joe Wieland signed with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions after pitching in Mexico last year. Roenis Elias also returns to the CPBL after two years in the KBO.