Tropicana Field was damaged by Hurricane Milton last week, most notably with the majority of the roof being torn off. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, there’s still a lot of uncertainty around the full nature of the damage and what comes next, but it seems unlikely the Trop will be ready to host games by Opening Day of 2025.
The Rays are scheduled to be at home to start the next season, hosting the Rockies and then the Pirates for a six-game homestand that is supposed to start on March 27. But it seems there’s a decent chance the Trop won’t be playable by then. The facility doesn’t have any drainage, which means the lack of a roof is a significant problem until a solution is found. That’s on top of other potential damage that is still being assessed, laid out by Topkin in his piece.
The Rays had planned to build a new stadium adjacent to the Trop’s current location, with the hope being that it would be ready by 2028. It’s currently unclear if that timeline will be impacted by the hurricane damage. Even if that ends up being delayed, the club may have to make some tough decisions about the Trop, since it was planned for demolition to make room for the new stadium.
From a financial point of view, the club won’t want to devote significant resources into a facility that is on its last legs, which is perhaps why they are in this situation in the first place. Last week, Sam Blum of The Athletic spoke to David Campbell of Geiger Engineers, the group that installed the Trop’s roof back in 1990. He said the roof came with a timeline of roughly 25 years, meaning it probably should have been replaced a few years ago. But Campbell suggests that the plans for the new stadium probably pushed the club to forego the cost, which left the aging roof more vulnerable to the damage it ultimately sustained.
Campbell estimated that the roof could be fixed in five to six months “if the primary structure is serviceable.” That roughly lines up with the time until Opening Day 2025 but it’s possible that further inspection could find more damage and push that estimate, which is why the odds seem to be against the Trop being viable by March.
The Rays will now need to have some discussions about next steps and it seems there’s a wide range outcomes. “The Rays have to get a sense on whether they are looking for a temporary home for a few months, for a full season or for all three years,” Topkin writes. “Plus, Major League Baseball will have a say, and the players union is sure to be involved.”
Topkin goes on to mention a number of possible backup plans, which are all imperfect in various ways. A nearby minor league stadium would be convenient in some ways, as the location wouldn’t be drastically different, but each would likely require investment of some kind to get it closer to major league standards.
The minor league stadiums also don’t have roofs, which means frequent weather delays and postponements could become an ongoing problem. That’s on top of the logistical hurdles of sharing with the team that normally plays its home games there or moving that club elsewhere. Each venue would also come with concerns in terms of capacity, amenities, accessibility and so on.
There are also more extreme suggestions put forth, such as playing in a city like Durham or Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Montreal, Quebec; or even San Juan, Puerto Rico. Those all seem to be speculative on the part of Topkin but perhaps those situations will get more serious consideration going forward. If such an extreme scenario does come to pass, it will make for an odd alignment with the Athletics. The A’s are planning to move to Las Vegas but their stadium is also not planned to open until 2028. Their lease in Oakland ran out and a new deal wasn’t reached, so the A’s are planning to play in Sacramento until then, in the Triple-A park of the Giants’ affiliate. It seems there’s at least some chance that two clubs are nomadic for the 2025-27 seasons, which would be an odd and unwelcome development for the league.
The full extent of the damage and related costs are still being worked out, which is why there is still a wide range of outcomes here, but it will be a notable storyline to follow in the coming weeks and months.
2012orioles
Underrated park. One of the most relaxing games I’ve been to. Wish I got to see the Colloseum too. Something about those stadiums I love.
FletcherFan
Absolutely horrific news about the Trop, home of my Rays. This piece upset me so much that I had to hit my son over the head with the tv remote. Thanks Sternberg, now my son and I are both crying because of your cheapness.
pt57
Off topic, but I thought the location within the city was part of the Rays problem. Why build a new oark right next to it?
TigersLoveCinnamon
The colloseum isn’t great, but not as bad as bad people say. Had some great tailgates outside that stadium
johnnybadd2019
I think there is nobody happier than the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays who want a new stadium so bad
Fever Pitch Guy
johnny – The new stadium was already approved, so how does this make Rays ownership happier?
If anything the damage in the surrounding area could delay the opening of the new stadium.
metsgolf
Montreal. They are starving for baseball.
muddust
probably should’ve thought of that before the Expos left.
johnsilver
To be honest.. ‘Spos had two horrid stadiums.. jerry park and old Olympic stadium, which many players blamed for ruined knees with what some rated as the hardest surface in the game. neither stadium was worthy of anything above AAA and as the name implies.. Olympic stadium was some rigged up ’76 Olympics left over, morphed into a baseball field. Montreal never did have a real stadium for the game, much like the trash dome in St pete/Tampa,, but don’t count on State $$ to replace it. Florida isn’t California and Desantis just couple years backed kicked Sternberg to the curb when he wanted tax $$ for HIS ST facility. He wants a stadium? Pay for it, or con local government to help, which in Florida is political suicide.
JoeBrady
Olympic Stadium was horrible. I enjoyed the environment that the Expos provided, but you could barely see the other of the park. And fitting 20,000 people into a park built for 80,000, looked horrible.
30 Parks
True, John. Ever see the planned build for Labatt Park? That would have been something. But … vive les Expos!
30 Parks
Joe – the lower bowl went on forever. Sitting at the top of the lower bowl required binoculars. Still, saw my first MLB game at the Big O in 1981. Fond memories.
Ducey
Montreal’s stadium roof is under repair too. Wont be ready until 2028.or so.
'Tang It
Oh the irony
JoeBrady
The Big O will become the Black Hole.
AUTiger7222
I wonder if maybe the Yankees spring training stadium is an option if they can work out the schedule? With how little attendance the Rays actually get they can’t really cry about it being too small from an attendance prospective. If the A’s can play at a minor league stadium why can’t the Rays? Seems better than wasting money on The Trop.
deweybelongsinthehall
On paper, that seems like the best option. I’m not sure of the distance apart but I’m guessing Rays’ players would still be able to live at home and visitors might not even have to change hotels.
deweybelongsinthehall
21 miles apart.
Karensjer
The Yankee$ spring park doesn’t have a roof. They should just let them play in Orlando at Wide World of Sports if they don’t care about not having a roof. It is more central, will attract tourists, and they won’t have to fight the Yankee$ for ‘territorial rights’.
And War Eagle!!!
inkstainedscribe
No roof. Too many rainouts. The schedule would be a disaster.
TigersLoveCinnamon
That minor league stadium the a’s are playing at is beautiful, and right in the middle of the state capital. Also no roof so it would cause even more pain with postponements
'Tang It
Montreal or San Juan make a lot of sense, but not so much for local fans
truthlemonade
San Juan isn’t great. The economy in PR is not great. And PR really is pretty far East.
CalcetinesBlancos
They can’t just play in it without the roof? I know Floridians hate the reality of where they live lol.
farscott
It is a concrete bowl with no drainage. As such, it is not suitable as an open-air stadium.
CalcetinesBlancos
To be fair, who could have foreseen a hurricane going through Florida?
SewaldSwansonSwoon
Then put in drains… bet that takes less time and money than rebuilding a roof
'Tang It
I doubt it. The roof is basically a glorified tarp. Drains require different engineering
deepseamonster32
Except for all the electrical and other stuff under the floor, plus all the details we have no idea about. Including everything else around the ballpark that isn’t weather proofed.
TigersLoveCinnamon
Haha, no
Fever Pitch Guy
far – Thank you. It appears nobody reads articles around here before commenting.
Speaking of reading articles …… LOL …..
“From a financial point of view, the club won’t want to devote significant resources into a facility that is on its last legs,”
And from the very same Tampa Bay Times article linked:here:
“Who pays for repairs?
The city of St. Petersburg is responsible and has insurance to cover the costs. That doesn’t mean it will be a simple process to get the stadium fixed, however, as anyone dealing with their own claims knows.
“It’s a little bit complicated how the fund works for Tropicana Field, but there is insurance on the property,” city administrator Rob Gerdes said. “So that’s the first thing we’ll be looking at is the property insurance to help make repairs.”
alwaysgo4two
Floridians hate the reality of where they live? Glad that you feel that way. We’ve grown enough the past several years. Please stay where you are.
Fever Pitch Guy
Blanco – Who would have figured a state whose sports teams are named the Hurricanes, Heat, Lightning and Gators would have a lot of hurricanes, heat, lightning and gators?
Fever Pitch Guy
Sewald – The stadium sits on a concrete base, not gonna happen.
'Tang It
Far East? The travel is basically no different except for Seattle. Who cares. Also, economy or not, that is a baseball island and they would pack the park. They would generate more revenue than the trop would
truthlemonade
‘Tang it: no, you are wrong, Puerto Rico’s distance is indeed a major factor when considering putting a team there, so is the economy.
CardsFan57
That’s two nomadic teams for 2025.
MrMet62
Maybe the Rays should play in Oakland . I mean it’s available
CravenMoorehead
From Oakland A’s to Oakland Rays :)
Ully
The Re-A’s
CravenMoorehead
Mind blown fam
Armaments216
Is it plausible and/or cost effective to retrofit a drainage/pumping system and forgo the roof for 3 years? They’d need to figure out some way to pump out any rainwater in the interim anyway.
'Tang It
Not if they just tear it down
bpskelly
While no one can stop a hurricane, it’s fitting in it’s absurdity that you’ll likely have 2 nomadic teams in MLB next season.
If that’s not a symptom of the uselessness of the current commissioner, nothing is.
JoeBrady
I too blame Manfred for the hurricane.
cgallant
This is a great opportunity to tare it down an build a better one. Just play your home games at one of the spring training facilities in the area. No one goes to their games anyway.
Citizen1
The stadium roof is missing. The rays may or may not have the roof fixed. I’ve learned nothing new.
Gwynning
Now they can change their name to the Sun Rays
Non Roster Invitee
There’s a stadium in Texas next to the Rangers. Possible they play there.
transistorhut
Why can’t they just play in the Tampa Bay Bucs stadium?
deepseamonster32
They would need to turn one sideline into retractable seating, unless you want it to be 200 feet down the LF line
Gwynning
Reminds me of when the ReD Sox played in the LA Coliseum. GIANT nets everywhere “simulated” distance.
Canuckleball
@deepseamonster32
“200 feet down the LF line”
Could help the Rays with their offensive power outage… although their pitchers wouldn’t be very enthused.
deepseamonster32
It would be a huge home-field advantage if LF was 200 feet and RF was 375. An all-righty team
Non Roster Invitee
I read of a butcher boy play in the minors there once…batter hit a home run!
Gwynning
The “no roof” thing seems to be the stickler for the Florida summers
stevewpants
This would have been the opportunity Nashville!! You should have built a stadium before getting a team locked in. Something is telling me there’s a baseball movie quote relevant here…
Canuckleball
“There’s no crying in baseball”?
pt57
That sure helped Tampa Bay. The Trop was built to lure the White Sox out of Chicago.
deepseamonster32
Tropicana Hotel gets demolished on the same day Tropicana Field loses its roof, and now 2 teams are stuck in minor league stadiums for the next 3 years.
Maybe the Illuminati should be more discreet
DanM-9727
The Jays played in Dunedin during the pandemic. The Rays should entertain the idea of playing there.
deepseamonster32
April and May might be OK. But not during the rainy season, when even if it’s not raining it’s miserable
SkenesandSlopes
The extra two months may buy them enough time to be ready.
Man What Runs With the Football
Maybe the Rays can play in Guaranteed Rate Field. I’ve heard they’re looking for a major league team to play there.
pt57
The Trop was built to get Jerry to move to tampa/stpete. That’s some weirdness right there.
metsin4
Come up to Durham next year. I’ll buy season tickets right now.
SkenesandSlopes
Could Camping World (Citrus) hold baseball? Dimensions probably disastrous and it is a no. No more Tinker Field next door.
Steinbrenner Field could be the best option. Stadium is in Tampa, larger capacity than the rest of the Florida State league fields.
toycannon
How Bout moving to the Superdome in NOLA?
IronBallsMcGinty
Why couldn’t something be coordinated at Loan Depot while the Marlins are on the road? The Marlins themselves have had to play as home team in other stadiums due to hurricanes. It might work as a temporary fix until they can play at the Trop again.
Canuckleball
I had thought the same myself. It would require some logistical hop scotch, but it should be doable.
There would be some issue with how revenue would work though.
Four4fore
You can due the tour of central Florida. Tampa, Bradenton, Clearwater, Lakeland, Dunedin, Orlando.
Larry D.
Steinbrenner Field seats 11,000. Rays averaged 16,000. And the weather. That sounds like a viable temporary solution but would be tough to run the table until 2028. Maybe they work on the time line.
MarkTwain60
Montreal’s Olympic Stadium seems like a nightmare. The roof is badly damaged, occasionally slabs of concrete weighing tens of thousands of pounds falling haphazardly and maintenance isn’t noticeable. There are plenty of Florida spring training facilities that with adequate money( seriously the Rays?) and political will could be upgraded to some sort of River Cats standard. There remains the issue of hurricane season starting on June 1 to late November. Since there isn’t that much revenue from attendance maybe even Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha has at least a 24,000 seating capacity. There would be other issues but Creighton only plays 12 games a year there. The team could rebrand temporarily as the Nebraska Ray bans.
pev4
Oakland Rays… sounds right
SFBay314
New Orleans, play in the super dome!