The Rays have been granted approval to explore stadium options across the Tampa Bay area. On Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council voted in favor of allowing the team to seek potential sites in Pinellas County as well as Tampa and the rest of Hillsborough County.
Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg attended the meeting that cleared the path for the team to seek a new home. Council members voted 5-3 in favor of the motion.
"It's been a long time coming for us, a lot of work in the organization," Sternberg said in an interview with the Rays Radio Network.