If Rays reach postseason, there’s some question about where they’d play

MINNEAPOLIS — There’s quite a bit of significant uncertainty swirling around the Rays.

Will Tropicana Field be repaired in time for them to return next season? Will they get a new stadium built, and where? Will the under-discussion sale from Stuart Sternberg to Patrick Zalupski go through, when, and what changes will that bring?

And — given their improved play after a slow start — there is now another question without a clear answer:

What happens if they make the playoffs?

When the Rays, after a significant investment of money and time, moved into Steinbrenner Field after damage to the Trop from Hurricane Milton, they assumed it would be their home for the entire season.

But with only 12 weeks left to play, Major League Baseball officials are starting preliminary talks about if, and how, that could work for the postseason, what other options there might be and what makes the most sense (and dollars) for all parties.

Though no decisions have been made, there is a reasonable chance that if the Rays do reach the postseason they could play at least a wild-card and potentially a division series at Steinbrenner.

The Rays are hoping to put MLB in position to try to make it work.

“There’s only one way to find out,” baseball operations president Erik Neander said. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of the fans that have come out and supported us in our temporary home. Couldn’t be more appreciative of our staff and our players and the way they’ve acclimated — there was a bit of a learning curve getting into this building and finding success, and we’ve found it. We’ve made it home.

“We’d love nothing more than to be playing games here beyond those that are currently scheduled. There’s only one way to find out, and it’s our job to find out where those games will be played.”

Fans cheer a Yandy Diaz home run during a game against the Detroit Tigers June 20 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]

Reliever Pete Fairbanks, the Rays’ union player rep, had a more direct reply: “I’ve never heard of a team not playing home playoff games in their home stadium for the year. So, that’s my thought on that.”

Though the situations are not identical, commissioner Rob Manfred told SiriusXM radio in March that if the A’s (who are playing in a Triple-A stadium in West Sacramento, California) made the playoffs, MLB would consider playing “maybe a round” there but definitely not the World Series.

The biggest issue at Steinbrenner Field is the small seating capacity — which under the Rays’ configuration is 10,046.

Given how MLB has built workable ballparks for special events in places such as an Iowa cornfield and, next month, Bristol Motor Speedway, you’d think there are creative ways to add at least a few thousand temporary seats at Steinbrenner. (Although it would come at some expense and risk if the Rays’ bid to host a playoff series were to come up short in the season’s final days.)

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The bigger problem would be if the Rays advance — for the first time since the abbreviated 2020 season — to the American League Championship Series and the World Series.

For World Series games, MLB has commitments for roughly 7,500 tickets — for use by players, team and league officials, umpires, sponsors, broadcast partners and others. It’s a smaller but still significant number for ALCS games.

Also, the players’ pool for postseason bonuses — which includes 60% of the gate receipts from the guaranteed games of each round — would be considerably smaller.

Lesser issues would be limitations on the TV production ability and lack of media space given the 29-seat press box.

Given the short window between series, MLB obviously would need to have this all planned out — from both a logistical and competitive perspective — well ahead of time.

The problem is that none of the obvious alternatives are attractive. It seems unlikely lots of Rays fans would drive to Miami if the games were moved there. Or to Atlanta, Texas or any other major-league site.

As the Rays know from looking for their interim home, none of the other minor-league stadiums in the state are better than Steinbrenner.

“They can deliberate over whatever they want, but I feel like it’s a disservice to the people in this area if they’re going to move potential playoff games,” Fairbanks said.

Plus, the playoffs would be right around the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Milton and a prime chance on a national stage to honor those who helped with rescue and recovery, and acknowledge those who still need help.

“Stuff like that historically has had a positive effect on a region,” Fairbanks said. “I’m sure they’ll keep hypothesizing. It is what it is, but we’d like to have our fans at the ballpark.”

Neander is careful to say the Rays aren’t looking too far ahead, well aware their more immediate concern is making the six-team AL playoff field.

“We’ve got a lot of things to accomplish before that becomes a reality, and we’re going to stay at those,” he said. “If we are so fortunate enough to reach that point (of hosting playoff games), I’d say that’s something that our fans, staff and players deserve.”

Rays rumblings

The players’ grenade-toss hit celebration has been replaced by “kind of a dance move” stemming from Curtis Mead being told as a minor-leaguer he needed to learn to dance to have more rhythm at the plate. … The latest mock draft by mlb.com has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner, No. 37 on Louisville righty Patrick Forbes and No. 42 on Newnan (Ga.) High shortstop Dax Kilby. FSU/Tampa Jesuit lefty Jamie Arnold is pegged to go eighth to Toronto. Baseball America has the Rays using their first three picks on shortstops: Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) High’s Steele Hall, Houston (Tenn.) High’s Ryan Mitchell and Florida State’s Alex Lodise, with Arnold going 10th to the White Sox. … Days after being found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor, Rays shortstop Wander Franco posted on Instagram a game-action photo of him looking skyward, along with the caption, “You are the only one who knows.” Per Dominican media reports, the appeal process could take more than a year. … Shortstop Carson Williams’ struggles at Triple-A Durham have led to a big fall in the prospect rankings — from No. 9 this spring at mlb.com to 31, and from 11 at Baseball America to 76. … The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal predicts Rays Jonathan Aranda, Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero will make the AL All-Star team. … Ryan Pepiot pointed out that he grew up in Westfield, Indiana, the current hometown of hot dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut. … With an average crowd of 9,852, the Rays are outdrawing the A’s (9,782).

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