What is franchise needs is a new ballpark.  Tropicana is so uninspiring that you new this team would suck from the get-go.  I've never understood why they made the cut as an expansion team. 

 Does anyone live in the Tampa area who can comment if a new ballpark is even a possibility?

here is some info about the stadium:

New uniforms for the 2008 season were officially revealed on November 8, 2007.^[21]The unveiling coincides with a name change for the team, as the team is now officially called the "Tampa Bay Rays". The TV and radio game broadcasters already referred to the team as the "Rays" more often than "Devil Rays". The new team colors are "navy, Columbia blue and a touch of gold"^[22]. Tampa Bay joins the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team they broke into the Majors with in 1998, as the teams with the most recent uniform and logo changes. The new team logo features a bright yellow sunburst that represents the Sunshine State of Florida. In the original press release, principal owner Stuart Sternberg said "We are now the 'Rays' - a beacon that radiates throughout Tampa Bay and across the entire state of Florida."^[23]

The biggest surprise of the 2007 offseason to date came on November 9 when the Rays announced that they were in negotiations to potentially build a new $450-million open-air baseball stadium at the site of Progress Energy Park/Al Lang Field, their current spring training facility on the St. Petersburg waterfront. Stu Sternberg would provide $150 million and sign a long-term lease, and much of the remaining money would be covered by the sale of redevelopment rights to Tropicana Field and the state of Florida's 30-year, $60-million sales tax rebate for new venues. Any final plans would have to be approved by voters in St. Petersburg—all new construction on public property in St. Petersburg, regardless of whether or not it costs the taxpayers anything, has to be approved in a referendum.^[24]

In addition, the Rays front office has promised to increase the team's payroll for the coming season. Whereas it is currently around $24 million^[25], the "mid-30s" has been rumored as a minimum for 2008.^[22]