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.
Good to have one of the top 5 ballparks back in use in the league.
The consensus top 5 parks are usually these….
PNC Park
Oracle Park
Petco Park
Camden Yards
And a variety of several other favorites. The Trop has never been included in this list during it’s entire existence. Actually it should have a pull tab on the roof. Looks like a can.
That’s Trump level trolling saying it’s a top 5 ballpark.
@joeflaccosunibrow
Sounds like you’ve never been there in your life. Having fancy distractions isn’t really a sign of a good ballpark. But II understand most fans nowadays want to be distracted from the ball game itself. Go check your cell phone for some facebook posts…
Wait, you weren’t being sarcastic?! You actually think it’s a Top 5 ballpark?! You do realize that the Rays have been trying to dump that place for years, and it’s the one thing still holding up MLB Expansion, don’t you?
@Lanidrac
Top 5 stadium.
Even if it did use the word “stadium” in its name, it would still fall behind the other 5 MLB stadiums (alphabetically Angel, Busch, Dodger, Kauffman, and Yankee).
@Lanidrac
I don’t understand why you’re so concerned with this. Are you truly that bored?
@York: The Trop is much- and unfairly maligned. People who’ve never set foot in the place parrot what they’ve read, to seem clever I suppose. But in fact it’s a pleasant environment and a good place to watch a game. I lived in the area for several years and always liked going there. And, having been to more than 40 major-league parks past and present, I speak with some experience.
Old York: Sarcasm I presume. If not, you need to flip your list upside down to be accurate.
Well, in 2028 the newly renovated Olympic Stadium in Montreal will be ready so they could move there after the lease is finally up.
If the profit level was good enough to keep a major league team in Montreal there would be a team there right now.
Well, there were mitigating circumstances behind why the Expos in particular failed in Montreal.
@Landirac because of Jeffrey Loria.
The team post 1994 was destroyed by an assortment of factors #1 being a minor owner finding ways to shift their ownership % up via cash calls over and over again. He eventually got full control and sold to MLB while getting the Marlins, then MLB figured out they could make more selling to rich DC owners than to local ones in Montreal.
I remember clearly the Expos Marlins Washington DC triangle. Obvious setup and really made me sick even though I know money talks and if you have enough of it you’ll get what you want. I also remember things like why the Brewers got moved to the National League. Things like trying to remove the Minnesota Twins from existence. Lots of corruption in baseball like everywhere. Whoever has the most money wins.
To be fair, by the time MLB bought the Expos, it was already too late to save them in Montreal. They had no choice but to relocate them (once they gave up on that terrible contraction idea).
I agree it was too late. I remember watching the Cubs games on TV in the years before they moved out of Montreal and there was nobody at those games that seemed. Baseball wasn’t making money there. I don’t know the finances and it’s possible that baseball was making money in Montreal. It’s also possible that they saw the same franchise making a ton more money someplace else.
Funny thing though – the lowest the Expos got for attendance was 642,745 in 2001, their final year (2004) was 749,550 with over 1 million in 2003. Just 4 games out of the Wild Card in 2003 it looked like they might pull off a miracle, but MLB refused to allow them to call up anyone for September (when you could go to 40 if you wanted)..
Last year the 2 teams playing in the minors (A’s and Rays) were sub 800k fans, the A’s sub 1 mil since the pandemic, the Rays despite being a playoff team regularly still were sub 800k in 2021 (coming off a WS appearance at that) and last cracked 2 mil in their very first season 1998. Expos hit 2 mil in 1983 (21 years before moving) and hit it in 1982, 1980, and 1979 as well. Clearly even when they played in a piss poor park the fans came for a contender (1 playoff appearance in the strike year of ’81) which they won’t in Tampa. The A’s last had 2 mil in 2014 (barely), then in 2001-2005, and 1988-1993 – so Oakland fans did come at times, but it was an empty park when they won 3 WS in a row (sub 1 mil in 2 of the 3 years) in the 70’s.
Basically, Montreal has a better shot at supporting a team than Tampa by any measure, and probably as good a shot as Oakland has. If the Rays leave Tampa it is safe to say no one will ever go back there with a ML team. Oakland and Montreal will be good threats but Oakland will never get a team again due to the Giants fighting it tooth and nail should it ever be seen as a possibility (in the backrooms, never publicly)..
The Rays were near the bottom in attendance in ’24 at the Trop.
Playing in the big stadium is nice but if the stands are empty, it’s uninspiring and it can be depressing, especially if you are losing games.
Playing at Steinbrenner, even though it’s only 11,000 fans, selling out every game win or lose, every game is exciting in that sort of environment.
This is a team that doesn’t sellout playoff games at the Trop. A smaller ballpark would suit them well.
I think the A’s should forget about that big glitzy stadium and share the ballpark with the Aviators. It will be very depressing if they build that big ball park in Vegas and don’t draw attendance but at Aviators stadium, they will sell out every game. It will be great.
All home games would be night games in June, July and August. It could work out. There would be a game at Aviator stadium every night all summer. That would be awesome.
The MLBPA nixed the A’s original plans to share the ballpark with their AAA club.
that would be a hot ticket, only 10K tickets a game, sell out every game.
If they build the big stadium, a dome is claustrophobic, playing in the dome isnt as nice as being outside, even in Vegas where it is 105° everyday.
Rather play night games all summer outside.
It will be a real bad look if you move the A’s to Vegas, build that glitzy stadium and they draw like they did at the Coliseum.
You’ll end up changing the laws and letting hotels comp baseball tickets. It will be a scalpers paradise, hustlers buying tickets from tourists, selling them to locals.
I have a feeling that stadium is a bad idea. Id let the A’s play at Aviator Stadium and see how it goes. If its possible to add 10K seats, that would be ideal.
The As have been unable to sell out in Sacramento.
The MLBPA said no to playing major league games in the Summerlin ballpark.
There are other reasons beyond just the low capacity why the Rays wouldn’t stay in a minor league park long term.
Fantastic news!!!
I agree. I’m excited to return to the Trop.
Man, articles like this really reveal how many commenters on here love hearing themselves talk.
You and I included.
Ready or not… it’s still one of the WORST stadiums in the league and needs to be updated……. WE’VE BEEN SAYING THAT SINCE 2005!!!!!!!