By Jim Carchidi
May 15, 2026
Orlando’s ongoing quest for a Major League Baseball team took the spotlight Thursday as attorney John Morgan weighed in on the future of the Tampa Bay Rays and offered a pitch for the team's relocation. However, stadium discussions between the Rays and Tampa leaders won't put Orlando in limbo.
Dreaming big
In March, The Orlando Real reported the launch of a new Orlando Dreamers campaign aimed at bolstering its seven-year effort to bring an MLB franchise to the region. The marketing reboot followed the group’s 2025 additions of MLB All-Star and Orlando native Johnny Damon as Strategic Advisor, and Hall of Famer Barry Larkin as MLB Ambassador. Recently, World Series MVP and Sanford Seminole High School state champion David Eckstein joined the group as MLB Community Advisor.
Baseball fans line up at an Orlando Dreamers information table at Crooked Can Brewing Co. in March. Photo by Jim Carchidi
MLB rules require approval from 75% of its 30 clubs to authorize a team's relocation, which is viewed as a last resort to dealing with inadequate stadiums and poor ticket sales. Expansion also requires a 75% majority vote once proposals are vetted, television markets analyzed, and team popularity and financial capability are weighed. New owners must also pay an expansion fee of approximately $2.2 billion.
In 2025, the Dreamers reported letters of intent for more than $1 billion in team acquisition funds and $1 billion in financing for a proposed stadium on 35.5 acres of county-owned land on International Drive.
Stadium shuffle
Hopes for a team relocation scenario were stoked by the Tampa Bay Rays’ request for a new stadium. St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field has hosted the team since it entered the league in 1998 and the team is contracted for two more seasons. But a need for upgrades was exacerbated by hurricane damage and the future seemed in question last year, when a $1.3 billion proposal for a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field fell through.
Illustrations show the Tampa Bay Rays stadium proposal (above) and the Orlando Dreamers stadium design (below). Images courtesy of Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Dreamers
Rays owners reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College for a $2.3 billion stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the campus, which would be located across Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium. But the price tag drew criticism from some community members and local officials, which put city and county approval in doubt.
Advocating for change
Attorney and former Orlando Dreamers investor John Morgan offered his take during interviews held this week with WESH 2 News and WFTV Channel 9. Morgan previously committed $250 million to the Orlando Dreamers’ 2025 effort to acquire majority ownership of the Rays, but withdrew when fellow investor, Dr. Rick Workman, left the Dreamers to join a rival buying group led by Jacksonville-based real estate developer, Patrick Zalupski.
Zalupski's bid of $1.7 billion was ultimately accepted.
John Morgan knows Tampa Bay Rays majority owner Patrick Zalupski and wants to speak with him if the team can't reach a stadium agreement with Hillsborough County. Photo by Jim Carchidi
In his interviews, Morgan said he plans to meet with Zalupski to discuss an Orlando move if a stadium deal is not reached. He also cited the economic needs of Tampa’s NFL and NHL franchises as possible sticking points to an MLB stadium agreement.
Additionally, Morgan lauded Orlando tourism as a factor in successful ticket sales, and alluded to his own support of a local MLB franchise. "I would never invest in a baseball team in Florida, except in Orlando."
Not long after the interviews were broadcast on the evening of Thursday, May 14, ESPN reported the Rays and Hillsborough County officials had reached a tentative agreement on a stadium with $967 million in tax dollars going toward the effort. City and county officials are expected to vote on the proposal in June.
No worries
Orlando Dreamers CMO Andrew Herdliska speaks with local baseball fans and sees them as they key to acquiring an MLB franchise. Photo by Jim Carchidi
Orlando Dreamers CMO Andrew Herdliska previously told The Orlando Real that, while the group is keeping tabs on MLB teams up for sale, they have more interest in expansion over relocation. He reiterated the sentiment in the wake of Morgan's comments and the Tampa Bay Rays discussions.
"It does not change anything for us. We do not get in the middle or mess with any city's negotiations," Herdliska said. "Our role is to make Orlando the most attractive city for Major League Baseball whether it is expansion or relocation; we think we are the next great MLB city."
Herdliska said the group is in talks with MLB spokespeople and prospective owners, but keeping the attention of the target audience is a priority. "While tourism is an important component, we are focused on the locals," he said. "We need them to show up and say, 'yeah, I want baseball.' That's how we show Major League Baseball that this is a baseball town."
Log onto OrlandoDreamers.com for more information and check the group's social media for updates and events.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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