With spring training right on the doorstep, the Tampa Bay Rays are preparing for what could be a challenging 2026 season.
The team made a lot of moves this offseason, shaping both the lineup and the pitching staff. However, it can be argued that the team is actually in a worse spot entering spring training than they were at the end of the 2025 season.
Concerns about the lineup, at least from an offensive perspective, remain. Trading away All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe certainly isn’t going to help that.
Alas, trading him is part of the biggest question looming over the franchise. As shared by Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), Tampa Bay’s No. 1 concern is its stadium situation.
Stadium situation is Rays biggest question
Tropicana Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, on June 3, 2024. The 1.1 million square foot stadium is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, which was in Hurricane Milton’s destructive path across the state on Oct. 9, 2024. Hurricane Milton spawned tornadoes and unleashed heavy winds, rain and flooding across the state as the region was still reeling from Hurricane Helene. | Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Rays are set to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season after Hurricane Milton destroyed the dome. With a new ownership group taking over the franchise, the focus early on has been on securing a new home stadium for the franchise.
That is the biggest question for Tampa Bay because it could be the only way for the Rays to ever get close to competing with their American League East rivals when it comes to spending on the Major League roster.
Predictions for Tampa Bay in the 2026 season are brutal in large part because of how they operate during the offseason. They spent $25 million total on outfielders Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley and left-handed pitcher Steven Matz. Only Matz received a multi-year deal.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles each signed multiple players this winter who will be earning more than that alone. Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays, while Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles, as the headliners.
Rays will struggle to compete in AL East with spending habits
Sep 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Deals of that size aren’t something the Rays are currently capable of handing out to players, making it incredibly difficult to compete in a division that also has the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Landing a new stadium deal would be a massive revenue stream for Tampa Bay. It would certainly help close the gap that exists between them and their rivals when it comes to spending on the Big League roster.
Having the ability to expand their payroll is necessary to climb the ranks in their division. The Rays likely won’t ever spend to the level their peers do, but being able to spend more than they currently do would help immensely.
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