When the Rays and development partner Hines were selected to redevelop the Gas Plant District last year, elected officials and baseball fans across Tampa Bay had hoped it would end years of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the site and the team’s future in the region.

The Orlando Dreamers — a group of investors trying to bring a Major League Baseball team to Central Florida — are ready to pounce.

With the apparent collapse of the long-negotiated St. Petersburg deal for the Rays, an Orlando group hoping to bring big-league baseball to the City Beautiful said Friday it has an “anchor investor” to buy the team, and property secured to build a stadium.

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said the team will not meet the deadline to move forward on a new stadium. Here's what it means for the team's future.

When asked on Friday about the future of the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled support for the franchise, saying he's hopeful the team will remain in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future.