Orlando Dreamers' 'anchor investor' in MLB quest is dental chain founder Dr. Rick Workman
By Rick Mayer
April 30, 2025 at 4:41 PM EDT
The group seeking to attract a team - perhaps the Tampa Bay Rays - says John Morgan, founder of the Morgan & Morgan law firm, is also financially involved in the effort.
The Orlando Dreamers have announced two of its major financial backers involved in luring Major League Baseball to Central Florida.
Dr. Rick Workman, founder of Heartland Dental, is the “anchor investor” in the group, and John Morgan, founder of the Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan law firm, is also backing the effort.
Their involvement was confirmed to WUSF in an email from Dreamers co-founder and CEO Jim Schnorf.
“Rick is a friend, John is a more casual acquaintance,” Schnorf said. “I can say with certainty that the Dreamers would be absolutely enthused to have someone of John Morgan’s business acumen, credentials and connectivity be meaningfully involved.”
Although Schnorf has said his group would not interfere with teams in other markets, the Dreamers would appear to have the financial muscle to bring the Tampa Bay Rays or another team to Orlando.
ALSO READ: Orlando Dreamers secure 'significant' funding to lure a Major League Baseball team
The confirmation of Workman and Morgan’s involvement comes a week after the organization said qualified investors provided letters of intent to contribute $1.5 billion toward acquiring a team through relocation or expansion.
The Dreamers previously announced a commitment “in excess” of $1 billion from a “major institutional partner” to fund the construction of a 45,000-seat stadium in the International Drive resort area. Schnorf said it did not include “any debt that could be part of such a transaction.”
Schnorf called it “a significant commitment from the team” toward a public-private stadium project.
“This financing piece will be under a highly favorable structure for Orange County, MLB and team ownership,” he said.
Workman, a former dentist, founded Heartland Dental, now the largest dental management company in the country with more than 3,000 providers in 39 states. He is also chair of the executive adviser team with the private equity firm New Harbor Capital. He owns a home in the affluent Orlando suburb of Windermere.
Morgan owns one of the nation’s largest injury law firms and, according to Forbes, brings a family net worth of about $1.5 billion to the effort. Known for his firm’s high-profile advertising, Morgan has gotten more involved in politics in recent years, including financing and campaigning for passage of the state’s 2016 medical marijuana law.
ALSO READ: Manfred remains committed to Tampa area, wants a plan from Rays
The Rays have been seeking a replacement for Tropicana Field for years, but the future remains unclear after they recently backed out of a public-private plan to build a $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg.
MLB owners and commissioner Rob Manfred have reportedly expressed a desire for owner Stuart Sternberg to sell to someone who can get a stadium built in the Tampa area. The Rays have said the team is not for sale.
Complicating matters, Tropicana Field was destroyed last fall in Hurricane Milton, so the Rays are playing this season in Tampa at 10,046-seat Steinbrenner Field. St. Petersburg is paying to repair the facility in time for the 2026 season.
With the ongoing stadium saga in Tampa Bay, the relocation could be a strong possibility, although Schnorf has said it would also seek an expansion team.
Manfred has indicated he hopes to have an expansion process in place within five years, with new teams starting play in 2031.
Dr. Rick Workman, founder of Heartland Dental, is the “anchor investor” in the group, and John Morgan, founder of the Orlando-based Morgan & Morgan law firm, is also backing the effort.
Their involvement was confirmed to WUSF in an email from Dreamers co-founder and CEO Jim Schnorf.
“Rick is a friend, John is a more casual acquaintance,” Schnorf said. “I can say with certainty that the Dreamers would be absolutely enthused to have someone of John Morgan’s business acumen, credentials and connectivity be meaningfully involved.”
Although Schnorf has said his group would not interfere with teams in other markets, the Dreamers would appear to have the financial muscle to bring the Tampa Bay Rays or another team to Orlando.
ALSO READ: Orlando Dreamers secure 'significant' funding to lure a Major League Baseball team
The confirmation of Workman and Morgan’s involvement comes a week after the organization said qualified investors provided letters of intent to contribute $1.5 billion toward acquiring a team through relocation or expansion.
The Dreamers previously announced a commitment “in excess” of $1 billion from a “major institutional partner” to fund the construction of a 45,000-seat stadium in the International Drive resort area. Schnorf said it did not include “any debt that could be part of such a transaction.”
Schnorf called it “a significant commitment from the team” toward a public-private stadium project.
“This financing piece will be under a highly favorable structure for Orange County, MLB and team ownership,” he said.
Workman, a former dentist, founded Heartland Dental, now the largest dental management company in the country with more than 3,000 providers in 39 states. He is also chair of the executive adviser team with the private equity firm New Harbor Capital. He owns a home in the affluent Orlando suburb of Windermere.
Morgan owns one of the nation’s largest injury law firms and, according to Forbes, brings a family net worth of about $1.5 billion to the effort. Known for his firm’s high-profile advertising, Morgan has gotten more involved in politics in recent years, including financing and campaigning for passage of the state’s 2016 medical marijuana law.
ALSO READ: Manfred remains committed to Tampa area, wants a plan from Rays
The Rays have been seeking a replacement for Tropicana Field for years, but the future remains unclear after they recently backed out of a public-private plan to build a $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg.
MLB owners and commissioner Rob Manfred have reportedly expressed a desire for owner Stuart Sternberg to sell to someone who can get a stadium built in the Tampa area. The Rays have said the team is not for sale.
Complicating matters, Tropicana Field was destroyed last fall in Hurricane Milton, so the Rays are playing this season in Tampa at 10,046-seat Steinbrenner Field. St. Petersburg is paying to repair the facility in time for the 2026 season.
With the ongoing stadium saga in Tampa Bay, the relocation could be a strong possibility, although Schnorf has said it would also seek an expansion team.
Manfred has indicated he hopes to have an expansion process in place within five years, with new teams starting play in 2031.