Following Hurricane Milton, the Rays claimed they could not afford construction delays, which led to political infighting. The team faced a March 31 deadline to show they could come up with their $700 million obligation for the new ballpark. Now, for all intents and purposes, it is back to the drawing board. There is no new stadium in the works.

In the wake of the Tampa Bay Rays’ announcement that they won’t move forward with the current stadium deal in St. Petersburg, many elected officials around the bay echoed the same response: disappointment. Others lambasted what they considered a bad deal for taxpayers from the start.

With the Rays unable to play at Tropicana Field amid the serious damage it sustained from Hurricane Milton, the team's future in Tampa-St. Pete is in serious doubt. The move to walk away from the public-private stadium agreement has left the franchise with a few options.