If you thought the Tampa Bay Rays were going to quietly drift into the postseason sunset, think again—because the real action isn’t happening on the field, it’s unfolding in the front office. That’s right. The MLB franchise is on the verge of a seismic shift, and Stuart Sternberg, the man who’s held the reins since 2005, is finally stepping aside.
Sternberg Stays as Zalupski Era Begins
Sternberg has agreed to sell the Rays to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, and while the deal hasn’t hit the finish line just yet, it’s on track to wrap up sometime this month. But Sternberg’s not disappearing entirely. Nope, he and some of the current ownership group are holding on to a stake in the team, at least for now. Call it a soft exit—or maybe a strategic one. Either way, it’s a handoff without a full goodbye.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get spicier, bam! Enter Rick Workman. The surprise addition to Zalupski’s ownership group isn’t just another name on a check. This guy was considered the cornerstone investor behind the Orlando Dreamers—the group campaigning hard to bring an MLB expansion team to Orlando. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Workman’s defection is a major curveball, and to put it bluntly, it’s a gut punch to the Dreamers’ momentum.
Dreamers Reeling After Investor Exodus
Workman wasn’t just writing checks. He was the kind of figurehead investor you could rally a whole city behind. And with John Morgan, the group’s second-biggest backer, also heading for the exit, things are looking less than dreamy for Orlando’s MLB hopes. Barry Larkin, the Hall of Famer turned Dreamers ambassador, says the group was “surprised” but insists Workman didn’t throw shade on their effort. Still, no one’s pretending this didn’t hurt.
Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf tried to put a positive spin on it, suggesting that perhaps Workman had just grown tired of waiting. Fair enough. The expansion process is a glacial grind, and now that the Rays are likely staying put in Tampa, the entire timeline becomes murky. Even so, Schnorf maintains that they have other candidates and plenty of money to keep pushing forward. Hope springs eternal, right?
Pepiot and Aranda: Caution and Comebacks
Now, shifting from boardroom to bullpen—Ryan Pepiot, the Rays’ 28-year-old right-hander, was scratched from his Wednesday start due to “general fatigue.” Look, the guy’s logged 163 innings this season—30 more than last year, which itself was 30 more than the year before that. This isn’t just pushing the envelope; it’s setting it on fire. But here’s the twist: Pepiot says he’s not shutting it down just yet. According to MLB.com’s Joey Pollizze, Pepiot expects to pitch again this year. Whether the Rays agree? That decision’s coming soon, with Sept. 15 against Toronto circled on the calendar.
Meanwhile, there’s some cautiously good news on the injury front. First baseman Jonathan Aranda—who’s been out since Aug. 1 with a fractured wrist—is on the comeback trail. He’s already swinging off a tee and playing catch. Will he be back before the season’s end? That’s still TBD. But either way, it looks like he’ll be locked and loaded for spring training 2026. And let’s not forget: Aranda wasn’t just “solid” this year. He slashed .316/.394/.478 over 103 games and earned his first All-Star nod. The man is for real, and the Rays know it.
So, ownership drama, investor shakeups, pitching questions, and injury recoveries—it’s all happening at once. And if you think this franchise is coasting toward an offseason reset, think again. The Tampa Bay Rays may be fighting for relevance in the standings, but behind the scenes? Oh, they’re already playing for the future.
