Could the Tampa Bay Rays Need an Alternate Home For 2025 Season?

Is the damage sustained by the roof so bad that the Rays may never return to the Trop?

The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024. / Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last week, Hurricane Milton swept through Florida, causing an insane amount of damage to the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where the Tampa Bay Rays play.

The fiberglass roof was torn to shreds, leaving almost the entirety of the building exposed. The Rays have said they will take the next few weeks to assess the damage but Marc Topkin of Tampabay.com writes that there are questions about if the Rays can even return to Tropicana Field.

Team officials remain in the process of an initial assessment of the damage to the stadium and have yet to determine when, or if, they can return to play there.

The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024. Prior to landfall, the stadium was converted into a base camp for emergency responders. / Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024. / Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For reference: A recent article in 'The Athletic' indicated that the Minnesota Twins needed five months to repair the old Metrodome after it was damaged by snow in 2010. Even at that timeline, which isn't necessarily the same, the Rays would be pushing the ability to make it back to Tropicana Field by Opening Day next season.

Further complicating the matter is that the Rays are planning on playing in a new stadium in 2028, so there really isn't the motivation to fix up the stadium for just a few years of play, especially if the price tag grows on this fix.

So what are the options for the Rays if they don't want to fix the stadium or can't return there?

1) The Rays could play some games at their spring training facility in Port Charlotte, but that's only a 7,500 capacity park. Even with the modest crowds that the Rays get, that's not enough. However, we did see the Toronto Blue Jays play a portion of the 2021 season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla, because of COVID concerns in Canada.

This state-of-the-art facility features a 360 degree fan-friendly pedestrian concourse, a luxury hospitality suite level, two outfield berms, a children’s play area, an outfield bar, and practice fields. The stadium seating capacity is approximately 7,500.

There is the reported ability to add more seats at this facility to make it more than 10,000.

2) The Rays could play in Durham for the season and utilize their Triple-A facility (Durham Bulls) while displacing the Bulls somewhere else. That ballpark has a capacity of 10,000. The Blue Jays also played a portion of 2021 in Buffalo in their Triple-A facility, so there is precedent.

3) An article from the Sporting News suggests that the Rays could potentially play in Tampa at the Yankees spring training facility as well. That seats more than 11,000. The problem with these outdoor venues is the insane heat in Florida, which could make it extremely difficult to play in and draw fans to the ballpark.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.