LAKELAND, Fla. -- Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the Rays' stadium situation on Thursday at MLB Spring Training Media Day at Joker Marchant Stadium.
"I continue to monitor the developments," said Manfred, noting that he has regular conversations with principal owner Stu Sternberg, and he recently spoke with St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman.
From those conversations, Manfred said he was comfortable with the way the situation is progressing, adding, "I'm an optimist. And I'm optimistic about the Tampa Bay area."
The city of St. Petersburg granted permission to the Rays in December 2015 to explore possible sites for a new stadium. As of yet, no site has been selected.