After 17 years of negotiations that led to historic votes this summer to build a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in St. Petersburg, the future of Major League Baseball may hang in the balance once again. Before Pinellas County commissioners on Tuesday is a simple question: Whether to approve previously pledged financing for a share of the costs for a new $1.

In the hours preceding the Commission meeting, the Rays sent what has been described as a warning letter claiming the team had “suspended work on the entire project” and not just the new stadium.

The proposed deal for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium is in jeopardy, the team's presidents told Pinellas County commissioners just hours before a crucial vote.