THE Tampa Bay Rays are officially on the search for a new home after Hurricane Milton left them with a huge repair bill.
Tropicana Field had the roof completely shredded last week as the storm battered parts of Florida.
Tropicana Field had the roof ripped off by Hurricane Milton[/caption]
The Tampa Bay Rays are on the lookout for a new home for 2025[/caption]
The Rays were left facing a repair which could cost up to an estimated $39 million.
And they were also in a race against time to get the stadium ready for the start of the 2025 season at the end of March.
A new report in the Tampa Bay Times said it will not be ready for the season opener.
To complicate matters, the Rays are planning on moving to a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida in 2028.
No decision has yet been taken on whether to press ahead with a massive repair bill, given their plans to move.
The Sun reported this week that the New York Yankees could help rescue the Rays.
The region is a hot bed for baseball with no shortage of ballparks.
The Yankees play their Spring Training home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The ballpark is located next door to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.
It has a capacity of 14,000 fans and is closer to downtown Tampa than the Rays’ Tropicana Field home.
The Tampa Bay Rays averaged 17,781 fans per game in 2023 – less than half of Tropicana Field’s 42,375 capacity.
But the team could have sellout crowds every night in a ballpark closer to their home city at the Yankees’ base.
The Sun understands that most Spring Training bases in the region escaped serious damage from Hurricane Milton.
And any damage is highly unlikely to cause any issues for Spring Training in February and March next year.
One issue facing the Rays if they stay local is the summer heat in Florida.
Temperatures could make it tough for them to play outdoors.
And some ballparks that are used for Spring Training will need facilities upgraded to host the regular-season.
Tampa Bay could follow the Oakland Athletics’ lead and relocate for three years before the new stadium is opened.
The A’s have moved to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California.
Their lease at the Oakland Coliseum has expired and their new stadium on the Las Vegas strip will not be ready until 2028.
