Rays' Tropicana Field Repairs Project Stadium Unfit Until 2026

Karl Rasmussen | Nov 12, 2024

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

The Tampa Bay Rays won't be calling Tropicana Field home during the 2025 MLB season. Hurricane Milton battered the domed stadium in early October, causing significant damage to the roof as well as various other key parts of the field.

Repairs have been scheduled, but they figure to take a lengthy amount of time, leaving the team seeking more immediate solutions as to where they'll play baseball this coming season.

According to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, a damage assessment of the stadium stated that repairs are expected to cost as much as $55.7 million and won't be complete until 2026. Topkin notes that the roof will account for around $23.6 million of the $55.7 million cost.

That's quite a large bill for a city to cover, considering the team intended to move to a new stadium in 2028. It remains to be seen how much of the cost of the repairs would be covered by insurance, which could play a factor into whether the city would be willing pay such an amount for effectively two more years at Tropicana Field before the move.

The Rays have called the Trop home since their inception in 1998. The stadium first opened in 1990. With their ballpark unavailable for the looming season, it's possible the team plays at the New York Yankees' spring facility, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, or BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, the Philadelphia Phillies' spring facility.

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