Florida may have sunshine, beaches, and theme parks—but when it comes to baseball, stability isn’t on the menu. As MLB tiptoes around expansion fantasies, the Tampa Bay Rays are busy perfecting the art of uncertainty. With a stadium in shambles and fans still missing in action, they aren’t just out of luck—they might soon be out of town. Baseball’s oddest soap opera continues, and it’s getting weirder.

Every baseball team wants home advantage unless you are the Rays, because then it doesn’t matter. With the MLB exploring to fit in a third new team in Florida, things might get messier, especially when both teams in Florida are nowhere close to achieving their goals. Forget the World Series for a second, the Tampa Bay Rays need to make sure they have a home ground to play on for the next season.

This came up for discussion when the ESPN columnist Jeff Passan was on The Pat McAfee Show. When asked about a potential third team from Florida, he ruled out the possibility, while shedding light on the situation of the current two teams.

“You look at the situation with the Rays, and they don’t really have a stadium beyond 2026 at this point. The hope is that the Trop is going to be rebuilt in time to open the 2026 season, and that they could play there. But if that’s not the case, they’re kinda homeless. They’re just floating in the wind right now,” Passan said.

The Rays’ stadium limbo isn’t just a logistical mess—it’s a financial black hole with no bottom. Millions earmarked for player development might vanish into concrete, permits, and political handshakes. A delayed rebuild means more temporary fixes and bleeding money.

The Rays aren’t making headlines for the right reasons on the diamond either. Their form has dipped, the wins are wobbling, and playoff hopes look foggy at best. Losing streaks are stacking faster than ticket sales, and patience in the fan base is paper-thin now.

To ensure fan engagement in these turbulent times, however, the team is trying all means.

The Tampa Bay Rays pull up with the biggest Charity Yard Sale

When MLB teams decide to clean house, they ship out old gear quietly. But trust the Tampa Bay Rays to turn spring-cleaning into a full-blown public spectacle. With the heavy turn-out in the Tropicana Field’s parking lot, they proved once again that even their castoffs can draw more excitement than some MLB lineups in July.

The Rays turned clutter into community gold with their massive charity yard sale. In under an hour, 75,000 items vanished—proof that nostalgia sells faster than hot dogs at a doubleheader.

This wasn’t just a fundraiser—it was fan engagement at its finest. Thousands showed up, far beyond expectations. “Probably twice as big as any yard sale that we’ve had at a FanFest, maybe three times as big,” said David Egles, Executive Director of Rays Baseball Foundation. “We have items going back to 1998. We have items from the green 2000 era. We have it from this year. The amount of range of items we have is incredible,” he further added.

If old jerseys and bobbleheads can spark this kind of frenzy, imagine what a playoff run might do. The Rays didn’t just empty storage—they filled hearts, bags, and their fan base. It’s marketing wrapped in memorabilia, sprinkled with nostalgia, and sold by the sack.

Forget luxury boxes—this is how you pack the stands. Maybe next time, MLB should take notes.