ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays will play their home games at the rival New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark in 2025 amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, team executives told The Associated Press.
Stuart Sternberg, the principal owner of the Rays, said in an interview that Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is the best fit for the team and its fans. At about 11,000 seats, it’s also the largest of the MLB spring training sites in Florida.
“It is singularly the best opportunity for our fans to experience 81 games of major league Rays baseball,” Sternberg said. “As difficult as it is to get any of these stadiums up to major league standards, it was the least difficult. You’re going to see Major League Baseball in a small environment.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Rays-Yankees deal is good for the sport and the Tampa Bay region.
“This outcome meets Major League Baseball’s goals that Rays fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families,” Manfred said in a news release.