Work continues to repair the hurricane damage that rendered Tropicana Field unplayable in 2025. St. Petersburg officials updated the local media on the construction efforts on Wednesday, expressing optimism that everything will be completed by Opening Day.
“At this moment in time, we have no concern about being ready for opening day April 6. And we hope we keep it that way,” city administrator Beth Herendeen told reporters (including Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times and Kristie Ackert of The Associated Press). The city finished reinstalling roof panels last month and is now focused on interior work. That includes repairs to the clubhouses, seating areas, and improvements to the video board.
There’ll also be a new artificial turf. Ackert writes that work on the playing surface could begin in January, while Topkin notes that the team is hopeful that’ll be complete by the end of Spring Training. That’d enable them to familiarize themselves with the turf before regular season games get underway. The Rays begin the season with road series in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minnesota. They’re set to host the Cubs and Yankees from April 6-12 in their first homestand.
The Rays played the 2025 season at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field. That’s an outdoor stadium with a capacity around 11,000. While the Trop has been frequently maligned in comparison to other MLB stadiums, it’s no doubt preferable to playing in an A-ball facility.
The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field initially ran through 2027. That was extended by a year when the facility was taken out of commission. Assuming everything remains on track for next season, the lease will expire after the ’28 campaign. The City of St. Petersburg was responsible for the repair costs as the lessor and approved a little under $60MM to that end. The Rays remain in search of a long-term stadium deal in the Tampa area. That’s the primary goal for new owner Patrick Zalupski, who purchased the franchise from Stu Sternberg after the latter’s efforts to renegotiate the stadium deal following the 2024 hurricanes stalled.
Itcwill be good to see the Rays back in a “real-ish” MLB ballpark. The Trop can hopefully house them until the inevitable move to Tampa.