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Tampa Bay Rays tap Yankees' spring training site for temporary home

According to the team, Steinbrenner Field is the "best-prepared" facility in the area to host the games.

TAMPA, Fla. — More than a month after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, leaving the Tampa Bay Rays without an operational stadium for the 2025 season, the MLB team has officially found a temporary home. 

And, the new location is in the Tampa Bay area — George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. 

"Steinbrenner Field was selected as the Rays temporary regular-season home because it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games," a release from the Rays said in part. 

The news comes a day after St. Pete City Council released a commissioned report that said Tropicana Field is still a "viable" option for the Rays to play, just not in 2025. Not only that, but to make it ready for the following season, the estimated price tag attached to the project tops $55.7 million. 

Steinbrenner Field was one of several options that have been floated as temporary homes for the Rays that keep them in the Tampa Bay area, including spring training sites used by the Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater), Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin), Pittsburgh Pirates (Bradenton) and Detroit Tigers (Lakeland). 

According to the Rays, Steinbrenner Field is finishing up renovations to improve the stadium, including the clubhouse and playing facilities. Another reason to choose Steinbrenner over other local options — the capacity. 

Steinbrenner Field is reportedly the largest spring training stadium in the Tampa Bay region, able to hold about 11,000 fans. 

“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,’’ Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “The hurricane damage to Tropicana Field has forced us to take some extraordinary steps, just as Hurricanes Helene and Milton have forced thousands of families and businesses in our community to adapt to new circumstances as we all recover and rebuild.’’

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also applauded the Rays' decision. He previously expressed the league's interest in keeping the Rays as close to home as possible for the upcoming baseball season. 

“Given the significant challenges caused by Hurricane Milton, I appreciate the hard work and collaboration between the two teams that allowed the Rays to make the best decision for next season," Manfred said in a statement. "This outcome meets Major League Baseball’s goals that Rays’ fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families.”

The sun was already setting for Tropicana Field when Hurricane Milton ripped the special fiberglass roof off the stadium. Eighteen of the ballpark's 24 fabric panels failed when Milton roared ashore on Oct. 9, the report found. There was also damage to interior parts of the Trop, as it's known for short, from rainwater and other storm-related causes. The ballpark opened in 1990 and has been the Rays' home since their inception in 1998.

Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Just a few months ago, St. Pete and Pinellas County leaders agreed to a new $1.3 billion ballpark in an adjacent location that would open in the 2028 season, part of a much larger downtown revitalization project.

The question remains if city leaders will agree to make the multi-million-dollar repairs to a stadium that only has, at most, three major league seasons left in its tenure. And, considering the Trop wouldn't be ready for the Rays to play in 2025, there are only two seasons for actual play. 

Ticketing logistics are still being worked out for the temporary stadium. Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news by tapping or clicking here

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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