PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Principal owner Stuart Sternberg and the Rays have remained consistent in stating that they want to explore a Sister City concept, which would split the Rays’ home games between Tampa Bay and Montreal starting in 2028.

In order for the proposed plan to work, the Rays have been looking for a commitment for new outdoor ballparks from both Montreal and the Tampa Bay area. While St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has been reluctant to consider building a stadium for a part-time team, the Rays say that the proposed plan took a “significant” step in the right direction on Monday in a meeting with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan.

“Today, we took a meaningful step toward securing the future of Rays baseball in Tampa Bay beyond 2027,” the Rays said in a statement. “We appreciate Mayor Castor and Commissioner Hagan’s leadership and look forward to a continued dialogue with City and County stakeholders. We remain focused on the Sister City concept and unwavering in our commitment to work in partnership with the community as this process moves forward.”

During the Winter Meetings, Sternberg said that his sole focus was trying to make the Sister City concept work, an idea to which Hillsborough County seems more receptive than St. Petersburg.

“I’m more excited about the plan now than I was a month ago,” Sternberg said during the December Winter Meetings in San Diego. “I’m more excited than I was a month before that, and I’m more excited than when we made the announcement in June. Most people we’ve spoken to in small gatherings and stuff like that, they get what we’re trying to do.”

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is among those who believe the Sister City concept is the best way to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area after the ‘27 season.

“I am 100 percent convinced,” Manfred told the Tampa Bay Times during scheduled Owners Meetings last week. “More importantly, the other owners have been convinced by Stu that this is the best way to keep Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay.”