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Orlando Dreamers say MLB vision still alive despite Rays sale talks

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Published  June 19, 2025 7:28pm EDT
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando
Orlando Dreamers say MLB vision still alive despite Rays sale talks

Orlando Dreamers say MLB vision still alive despite Rays sale talks

The Orlando Dreamers say they’re not backing down from their mission to bring Major League Baseball to Central Florida — even as the Tampa Bay Rays enter talks with a different ownership group.

The Brief

    • Orlando Dreamers say their MLB plans remain on track despite Rays’ potential sale.
    • The group eyes future expansion or other team relocations for a franchise.
    • Barry Larkin says Orlando remains "an unsurpassed market" for baseball.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Dreamers say they’re not backing down from their mission to bring Major League Baseball to Central Florida — even as the Tampa Bay Rays enter talks with a different ownership group.

What we know:

The Orlando Dreamers, a group led in part by Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, remain committed to bringing Major League Baseball to Central Florida. 

This comes as the Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly in advanced discussions to sell the team to a separate ownership group led by Jacksonville billionaire Patrick Zalupski. 

The potential deal is estimated at $1.7 billion. Despite the shift, the Dreamers are moving forward with plans to open a downtown office and finalize a public-private partnership to build a stadium in Orlando.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear whether the sale of the Rays would eliminate Orlando’s chances of acquiring that franchise or if MLB officials are actively considering Orlando for one of the league’s expected expansion slots. 

There's also no definitive timeline on when the Dreamers’ stadium project could break ground or how much public funding will be involved in the proposed deal.

The backstory:

The Orlando Dreamers have been working for several years to bring an MLB team to the region. Their pitch includes building a new stadium and leveraging Central Florida’s booming population and tourism-driven economy. While the group had hoped the Rays might relocate, they’ve always maintained that their goal was larger than one specific team.

Big picture view:

Orlando has no Major League Baseball team, but the market is often mentioned in expansion and relocation talks due to its size and demographics. While the Rays’ potential sale may be a missed opportunity, the Dreamers are banking on MLB’s eventual expansion and unresolved stadium issues in other cities as reasons to stay in the game. Their long-term vision suggests Orlando could still land a franchise — even if it isn’t the Rays.

What they're saying:

The Rays are reportedly in discussions to sell the team to a group led by Jacksonville billionaire Patrick Zalupski in a deal that could be worth as much as $1.7 billion. But leaders of the Dreamers, including Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, say they anticipated other suitors and remain undeterred.

"This does not complicate our mission, nor does it change our plans for aggressively moving forward to the next phase of our initiative," Larkin said in a statement. "We plan to open our downtown office in the very near future, and we are laser-focused on finalizing the public side of the public-private partnership."

Larkin emphasized that even if the Rays do relocate elsewhere, Orlando remains in play for future opportunities, citing both franchise instability in other markets and the league’s intention to eventually expand by two teams.

"We continue to see Orange County and the greater Orlando area as an unsurpassed market for the next MLB location," he said.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orlando Dreamers, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Major League Baseball.

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