TOPSHOT – A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane … More Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least four people were confirmed killed as a result of two tornadoes triggered by Hurricane Milton on the east coast of the US state of Florida, local authorities said Thursday. (Photo by Bryan R. SMITH / AFP) (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Tampa Bay Rays had to flee Tropicana Field this season, but they could return as soon as next year. The St. Petersburg City Council approved part of the funding to fix the hurricane-damaged dome, earmarking $22.5 million for the repairs.
The damage to the stadium was extensive, ripping apart the roof and destroying the lights, playing field, and parts of the concourse. It forced the team to temporarily relocate to the Yankees’ Spring Training facility for their home games in 2025. Even though the amount the city committed is less than half of the $55.7 million needed for repairs, the club expects to be ready to return to Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 campaign.
While it’s good news for the Rays that they only need to spend one year displaced, this puts them back to the starting point in their search for a long-term home. They have three more seasons remaining on their lease—which is paused while they’re unable to use it this season—so they will remain at Tropicana Field through 2028. Beyond that remains unknown.
The Rays appeared to have an agreement in place for a new 30,000-seat stadium in roughly the same St. Petersburg location, complete with a surrounding downtown redevelopment. Delays in the deal, including some caused by Hurricane Milton, ultimately forced it to collapse.
Now the franchise is back at the starting point since they’re uninterested in a long-term commitment to Tropicana Field. Even the new ballpark deal that got scuttled would’ve had the same main problem they’ve had since the franchise’s inception in 1998—there are few major transportation arteries into St. Petersburg, making it too daunting for many fans to attend games.
For years, the team had its sights set across the bay in Tampa, specifically the Ybor City neighborhood. A deal never came to fruition though, and there has been ongoing speculation that they could ultimately relocate to a different metropolitan area entirely, such as Montreal or Nashville. They would need approval from MLB to begin searching outside of the Tampa area, and that has not yet been granted.
Complicating matters is the fact that the rest of the league is trying to force Rays owner Stuart Sternberg to sell the team. This is most likely due to frustrations over his inability to close a deal for a new facility. The league can’t directly force a sale, but it has other means of making it difficult for Sternberg to stay in place such as denying stadium funding, withholding approval to search for a new home city, and possibly even negotiating a revenue sharing poison pill tied to a stadium in the next collective bargaining agreement with the players union.
All the while, time is ticking away. Whenever—and wherever—they strike a deal for a new ballpark, it will take some time to build it before they can play ball there. If they can’t construct a stadium before 2029 or temporarily extend their lease on Tropicana Field, they could have to move back to a minor league facility again—just like the Athletics, who are playing in Sacramento this year.
Now that the Rays have a plan to return to St. Petersburg for the remaining three years of their lease, they need to figure out a path forward for the franchise. That now involves sorting out their ownership situation so they can resume negotiating for a new stadium, wherever it may be located.