The Tampa Bay Rays might need a new place to play at the beginning of the 2025 MLB season. This is because Hurricane Milton caused a lot of damage to Tropicana Field.
The storm ripped apart most of the stadium’s massive roof, and other parts got damaged too. Before fixing anything, engineers have to check everything carefully, and then there’s a big insurance claim to deal with. All this means Tropicana Field probably won’t be ready for Opening Day. As Marc Topkin from the Tampa Bay Times says, “About the only thing that seems certain is that the team won’t be able to open the 2025 Major League Baseball season at home as planned on March 27.”
With just six months until March 27, it’s quite possible that the Rays will miss playing in their home stadium for much of 2025.
Finding a Temporary Home:
Now they have to find somewhere else to play. There are many spring-training fields nearby that could work, or maybe some minor-league parks in the area. Topkin even suggests sharing LoanDepot Park with the Miami Marlins, but that’s tricky because it would require a lot of planning.
Fans might wonder if sharing with another team would feel weird.
In all this chaos, remember that by 2028, they hope to move into a brand-new ballpark. But right now, figuring out where they’ll play soon is more important.
What do you think about all these changes?
