ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — After some uncertainty, the Tampa Bay Rays are now supporting a $55 rate.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — After some uncertainty, the Tampa Bay Rays are now backing a $55.7 million city plan to repair hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 season opener as the team prepares to to play in New York this year. The Yankees' spring training home is in nearby Tampa.
Rays co-president Matt Silverman said in an email to St. Petersburg's chief administrative officer that the team wanted to “clarify” any questions about its support for the rebuild. The city must pay for the work under its current contract with the Rays.
“While we have been willing to consider a scenario in which the City releases itself from its obligation to rebuild the ballpark, the Rays support and expect the City to rebuild Tropicana Field under the terms of the current Use Agreement,” wrote Silverman.
Hurricane Milton tore the Trop's fabric roof to pieces as it came ashore on Oct. 9, causing water and other damage to interior parts of the now-exposed ballpark. Work was underway to ensure no further damage was caused by the weather, but there were questions about whether it would be fully repaired, in part because it would eventually be demolished to make way for a new, $1.3 billion baseball stadium , according to current plans, the Rays will be in St. Petersburg for another 30 years.
Time is of the essence, Silverman said in his Dec. 30 email to the city, which it released Monday. Even a partial 2026 season at Tropicana Field “would present tremendous logistical and revenue challenges for the team,” he wrote.
“It is therefore vital that reconstruction begins in earnest as soon as possible,” with a realistic construction schedule to be completed by opening day in 2026, he added.
In a statement Monday, the city of St. Petersburg said it was “sympathetic to the Rays' operational disruption caused by the hurricane and welcomed the team's decision to return to the Trop.”
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Rays – through participation in a joint working group – and with the City Council to bring Major League Baseball games back to St. Petersburg,” the email statement said.
The city's architect initially submitted the repair proposal on December 12, but it has not yet been fully approved. City Council members balked at the cost, especially as residents and businesses were still recovering from Milton and Hurricane Helene.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency funding should cover most of the costs. Silverman said Major League Baseball told the team it would hire its own consultant to oversee the repair work and schedule.
The proposed new Rays ballpark downtown is part of a $6.5 billion project that will include affordable housing, a Black history museum, retail and office space, restaurants and bars. The project is known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which was once a thriving black community that was displaced by the construction of the baseball stadium and a highway.
The Rays are preparing to play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' 11,000-seat spring training site in Tampa. Once Tropicana Field is repaired, Silverman acknowledged that the Rays are obligated to play there for three more seasons as part of the deal with St. Petersburg.
“We’re looking forward to a grand reopening,” Silverman said.
Curt Anderson, The Associated Press