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Steinbrenner Field Gets Makeover as Tampa Bay Rays Prepare to Take it Over For 2025

With the Grapefruit League season over, the Tampa Bay Rays are set to move into the home of the Single-A New York Yankees.

Brady Farkas

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Connor Seabold (41) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Connor Seabold (41) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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Because of damage sustained by Tropicana Field during Hurricane Milton last October, the Tampa Bay Rays are going to play the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The field usually serves as the home of the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the Yankees.

It's also the spring training home of the Yankees, but with the Grapefruit League season over, the Rays are taking over and the makeover has begun.

In addition to the signage out front, the Rays will have to change the advertisements on the outfield wall and the signage on the interior of the complex.

Both parties have agreed that this is a one-year solution and the Rays will go back to Tropicana Field next year, presuming it's renovated in time. Beyond that, there are questions about the long-term viabilitty of the Rays in the Tampa area. The most recent attempt to get a new ballpark has failed, with Rays ownership pulling out of the deal.

There have been overtures by Major League Baseball to try to get the group to sell the Rays, but that hasn't happened yet.

The Rays will open up the major league season on Friday when they take on the Colorado Rockies at Steinbrenner Field. The Rays are opening up a day later than most teams.

They will start Ryan Pepiot in that opener, as Shane McClanahan recently suffered a triceps injury that will cause him to start the year on the injured list.

The Rays went 80-82 last season and missed the playoffs.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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