Tampa Bay Rays partners sue majority owner Stuart Sternberg By The Athletic Staff 35 Comments Five minority owners of the Tampa Bay Rays are suing majority owner Stuart Sternberg, alleging he has engaged in "a relentless scheme" to "squeeze" them out and take control of the franchise. The 24-page complaint, which was filed in Florida state court on Saturday, alleges Sternberg has been "secretly negotiating to sell an interest" in the team to Canadian businessman Stephen Bronfman and his Montreal Baseball Group. "Insultingly, based on information and belief, these secret negotiations have been going on since the spring of 2014," the suit says. That is three years earlier than when Sternberg publicly said he started negotiations with the Canadian group about playing games there.