The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field, the team announced Thursday. Steinbrenner Field is the spring training site of the New York Yankeesas well as hosting the Yankees' A-ball affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons. Notably, it is also located in Tampa, Florida – Tropicana Field, which was damaged by Hurricane Milton, is in St. Petersburg.
“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have generously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “Hurricane damage to Tropicana Field forced us to take extraordinary measures, just as Hurricanes Helene and Milton forced thousands of families and businesses in our community to adapt to new circumstances as we all recover and rebuild.”
Here are three things to know about this development, including what it could mean for the future of the Trop and tarpon.
1. What is notable about Steinbrenner Field?
Aside from being part of the Yankees? Steinbrenner Field is located next to Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Buccaneers. In addition, its dimensions are identical to Yankee Stadium, making it more suitable for left-handers.
In case you're wondering, Steinbrenner Field seats 11,000 fans. For comparison: The Rays averaged just over 16,500 paid tickets per home game in the 2024 season.
2. Will Tropicana Field be repaired?
A recent report from the St. Petersburg City Council determined that Tropicana Field's domed roof, which was destroyed by high winds during Hurricane Milton, can be repaired in time to reopen for the 2026 season.
However, such repairs will cost more than $55 million, which would equate to two years of play before the Rays move into their new stadium for the 2028 season.
Therefore, it is an open question whether there is any point in fixing the Trop.
3. What happens to the tarpon?
That still needs to be clarified.
Minor League Baseball announced its schedule for the 2025 season back in August. At the time, no one knew that the Tarpons would share a home with the Rays. This way you can be sure that the schedules overlap. (The same cannot be said for the Athletics and the River Cats in Sacramento, as that agreement was known long before the schedules were finalized.)
It's obvious that the Rays have priority at Steinbrenner Field since they are the major league team. It is also clear that MLB and MiLB do not want both teams to play home games on the same days in order to maintain the quality of the playing surface.
If we're just spitballing here, the most plausible solution would be for the Tarpons to play their home games at nearby fields where there is no scheduling conflict. Given that it is Florida, they have no shortage of potential venues nearby to choose from.