Another Tampa Bay Rays buyer has come to the table, according to The Athletic, which reported Friday that Memphis hedge fund founder Trip Miller created a group that made an all-cash offer to Rays owner Stu Sternberg last week.
The news comes just two days after the Rays released a statement announcing that they are in “exclusive discussions” with a different group about a potential sale of the team. That group is led by Jacksonville-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski.
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“We made an offer last week,” Miller told The Athletic. “We have had contact with the club over the past month, specifically about our offer.
“If there is an exclusivity period that expires soon, and I don’t know when it expires, we would welcome the opportunity to have a deeper discussion with the Rays about our offer.”
Miller also told The Athletic that his group is willing to up its offer, if necessary, though he did not reveal to The Athletic how much money his group bid or what he deems an overpay for the club.
Sportico reported that Zalupski’s group offered $1.7 billion for the Rays.
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Miller told The Athletic that if his group were to acquire the team, he wouldn’t move the Rays from Central Florida. However, he’s not ruling out locations in Orlando, according to The Athletic, which reported that Miller mentioned Hillsborough County in Tampa and Pinellas County in St. Petersburg as potential options.
“This is not a relocation play to another state,” Miller said, via The Athletic. “You won’t see the Rays relocating out of Central Florida, whether it was our group or another group.
“The league, that’s what they’re looking for — someone who can not only buy the club but solves the stadium problem.”
Miller told The Athletic that he believes the total investment, for both the team and its new stadium, will require north of $3 billion.
