The Tampa Bay Rays and the city of St. Petersburg have announced a news conference for Tuesday that should include final details on a new downtown stadium.

The playoff-bound franchise has fielded competitive teams over the past few years but has struggled to attract fans to Tropicana Field, widely considered one of the most outdated facilities in Major League Baseball.

Plans for a potential new stadium have been in the works for several months.

The Rays, who have played in the Tropics since they first took the field in 1998, are averaging 17,778 per game this season, 27th among the 30 major league teams. The Rays typically have among the lowest salaries in sports.

Persistently low attendance numbers and an inability to find a new ballpark also made the Rays a constant source of relocation rumors as their lease neared expiration beyond the end of 2027.

MLB rejected a plan to split the seasons between St. Petersburg and Montreal.

Across the country, the Oakland Athletics proposed moving to Las Vegas due to some of the same issues, particularly an older stadium.

A new stadium in St. Petersburg would end that long-running saga and allow the franchise to focus on remaining competitive in the AL East division, which includes the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.

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