Several media outlets are reporting that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and other owners are pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell the Tampa Bay Rays. Joe Molloy, a former managing general partner of the New York Yankees, stated he is with a group of investors to buy the Rays. “It would be our intention to honor the commitment the City of St. Petersburg and County Commission have made to the Rays," Molloy stated. Molloy declined to comment on who the investors are, citing non-disclosure agreements, but according to a report from The Athletic, he is involved in the efforts with the family of Edward DeBartolo Jr., who has roots in Tampa. This news comes as Sternberg is considering walking away from a stadium deal in St. Pete. Tampa businessman Dan Doyle Jr., who The Athletic said pulled out of a previous chance to buy the Rays in 2023, is part of another group that is expressing interest in the deal. Tampa attorney Carter McCain also confirmed with 10 Tampa Bay by phone that he and a group with experience in baseball and hospitality are in a position to make an imminent offer to the Tampa Bay Rays. McCain said his group, which he cannot disclose at this time due to ongoing talks, is looking to build an entertainment destination in the area, comparing the vision to the Sphere in Las Vegas. Whether his group would be open to keeping the current deal is not out of the table, he said. "Sternberg has also been courting minority investors," The Athletic's Evan Drellich reported. "If the team is sold, MLB ultimately wants the franchise to remain in Florida, with an eye on the Ybor City neighborhood near downtown Tampa if St. Petersburg does not work out." Another report from Fox News says MLB could even try to take away part of the team's revenue-sharing income in an effort to force a sale. The Rays get $60 million in revenue sharing currently, per the report. Sternberg has until the end of March to decide if he wants to continue with the new stadium deal in downtown St. Pete's Historic Gas Plant District. The Rays will play the 2025 season at the New York Yankees' spring training complex after Tropicana Field was heavily damaged during Hurricane Milton.