It's looking like the Tampa Bay Rays will have to find a new home after the Tropicana Field roof was ripped off by Hurricane Milton . Where could they play in 2025?
A report by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times said access to the stadium has been severely restricted because of safety concerns, which includes the integrity of the structure holding the remnants of the Teflon-coated fiberglass roof in place. The report says the stadium likely will not be playable in time for the upcoming MLB season, set to begin at the end of March.
Milton hit the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane the night of October 10. A sensor at Anna Maria Island detected 84 mph sustained winds with a gust up to 106 mph about 10 p.m., according to National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Fleming, about an hour before photos and videos of the Tropicana Field roof being torn off started circulating on social media.
It's not just the field that's become a safety concern. "Some team offices on the fourth floor, which had drop ceilings under the overall roof, are now open to the elements," Topkin reported.
The exact damage to the stadium is not yet known, and the Rays said they would "address the situation" over the next few weeks. Complicating the situation is the Rays' previously planned move into a new stadium in 2028. The new ballpark is set to begin construction in 2025.
If the cost of restoring Tropicana Field to working condition proves too high, the Rays will need to find a new home stadium for at least the upcoming season, if not the next three. Tampa Bay is scheduled to start the 2025 season on March 27 at home vs. the Colorado Rockies. Assuming the Trop is out of the picture, where could that game take place?
Here's a detailed look at 15 options for the Rays to play their home games next season, with pros and cons for each:
- Location: St. Petersburg, Florida (about 1.5 miles east of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL
- Capacity: 6,300 for Rowdies games, max capacity of 7,227
- Why the Rays could play here: Community. The team would hardly have to make any major changes to move its headquarters and facilities a few blocks down Pinellas Trail, and fans in St. Pete could keep their team.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: The size would be an issue. While the stadium has hosted baseball games in the past, the stadium has since been repurposed as primarily a soccer stadium. Retrofitting it might be more trouble than is worth. There's also no roof for protection from the heat and rain, and the stadium is prone to flooding.
- Location: Port Charlotte, Florida (about 80 miles south of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: No one during the MLB season. The Rays play their spring training games here.
- Capacity: 7,500
- Why the Rays could play here: Familiarity. The Rays own the complex and run their spring training operations here, so the organization would likely be most comfortable making this their temporary home.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: It's not designed to hold major-league games. The approximate capacity of 7,500 wouldn't even house half of the Rays' average home attendance. The clubhouses would need to be improved in a hurry to be suitable for all teams, home and away. The lack of a roof would also leave games prone to summer heat and Florida storms.
- Location: Kissimmee, Florida (about 90 miles northeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: No one regularly, though youth tournaments are held there throughout the year
- Capacity: 9,500 seats and 4 skyboxes
- Why the Rays could play here: The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosted spring training from 1998 to 2018. The Rays also have played six regular-season games there in 2007 and 2008 (and won all six). And while sorting out lodging would be an issue, there's probably room somewhere at the Disney World Resort.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: Again, no roof is a big issue when playing in Florida in the summertime. The league would also have to be wary of scheduling around the numerous youth tournaments held at the complex.
- Location: Tampa, Florida (about 21 miles northeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Tampa Tarpons (Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees )
- Capacity: 11,206 seats and 13 skyboxes
- Why the Rays could play here: Of all the spring training facilities the Rays could call home, Steinbrenner Field is the biggest and most MLB-ready. It would also keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: Imagine the Rays, who already have to put up with Yankees fans drowning out their own at the Trop, playing in front of Yankees logos even for their home games. There would probably be an effort to make the stadium more Rays-friendly, but there's only so much one can hide the fact that you're in a rival's house. Plus, the whole no-roof thing.
- Location: Clearwater, Florida (about 18 miles north of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Clearwater Threshers (Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies )
- Capacity: 8,800 (7,300 seats and room on the berm for 1,500)
- Why the Rays could play here: Clearwater is on St. Pete's side of the Tampa Bay, so it's another easy move for the team and fans.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: Yeah, yeah, no roof, small capacity, we get it.
- Location: Dunedin, Florida (about 22 miles north of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Dunedin Blue Jays (Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays )
- Capacity: 8,500
- Why the Rays could play here: If the Phillies' complex doesn't work, the Rays could head up U.S. 19 a bit, then head west to Dunedin to the Blue Jays' spring home. TD Ballpark has even hosted regular-season games this decade, albeit during the COVID season in 2020 when there were no fans. The Jays also started the 2021 season there before eventually moving back north.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: A big reason the Blue Jays were able to play regular-season games in Dunedin was the limited capacity: No more than 1,700 people attended any of the 21 games once fans were allowed back. Plus, say it with me now, "there's no roof."
- Location: Miami Gardens, Florida (about 250 miles southeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes
- Capacity: 65,326
- Why the Rays could play here: Back when the Florida Marlins were winning World Series (yes, it happened ... twice) they called Joe Robbie Stadium home. Well, OK it was Pro Player Stadium, then Dolphin Stadium, then Sun Life Stadium — you get the point. Hard Rock Stadium has not housed a baseball game since the Marlins moved to Miami proper in 2012, but there's no question the amenities are up to par.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: There is a roof! Kind of. While the covering above the stadium protects fans from the elements, the field itself is open, meaning it would still be prone to rain delays.
- Location: Miami, Florida (about 265 miles southeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Miami Marlins
- Capacity: 37,442
- Why the Rays could play here: Well, it definitely can host regular-season games! Florida's other MLB stadium is actually a pretty great host, as evidenced by the raucous atmosphere seen every three years at the World Baseball Classic. Plus, it has the one thing a stadium that aims to host daily events in Florida needs: a retractable roof.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: The scheduling challenges around making sure the Marlins and Rays are playing overlapping games make this prospect a distant possibility. The 2025 schedules have already been released, and the two teams are set to play 50 home games on the same day. Would you give one an afternoon start and have the other go at night? Could the turf really handle 50 doubleheaders over a summer?
- Location: Orlando, Florida (about 105 miles northeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: No one
- Capacity: 60,219
- Why the Rays could play here: It doesn't have to worry about sharing the facility with anyone during the season. Camping World Stadium hosts marquee college football games (including the bacchanalian Pop-Tarts Bowl) and concerts, but it's ready for use most of the year.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: Camping World Stadium has never hosted a baseball game before. However, nearby McCracken Field is an 8,000-seat baseball venue. It's not an MLB-ready park, though, and the other concert and youth sports fields on the complex (Tinker Field at 12,000, Festival Field at 15,000) are set up for sports.
- Location: Durham, North Carolina (about 700 miles northeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Durham Bulls (Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays)
- Capacity: 10,000
- Why the Rays could play here: If the spring training facility in Port Charlotte proves too small, the Rays could try the gorgeous stadium of their Triple-A team. They don't own the stadium like they do Charlotte Sports Park, but the transition to Durham would be simpler for the organization. The area also is a frequent host of the ACC baseball tournament, so it knows how to handle bigger baseball events.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: The scheduling conflicts with the Bulls isn't as bad as it would be with the Marlins, but MLB and the International League would have to work out how to split the 22 shared home dates. The Bulls announced Thursday they "do not anticipate hosting them for a full season due to schedules overlapping and other logistical complications."
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee (about 730 miles northwest of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Nashville Sounds (Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers)
- Capacity: 10,000 (with 8,500 seats)
- Why the Rays could play here: Nashville really wants a major-league team . The displaced Rays could play at their Triple-A ballpark as a trial run for a future expansion team.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: More scheduling concerns. The Rays and Sounds share 43 home dates.
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina (about 600 miles north of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Charlotte Knights (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox)
- Capacity: 10,200
- Why the Rays could play here: Charlotte is used to hosting big baseball events; it's a frequent site of the ACC baseball tournament. There's also a thought that Charlotte could be a player for a future MLB expansion team, though there isn't as big a push as there is in Nashville.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: Of the stadium-sharing plans listed here, this provides the biggest conflict. The Rays and Knights are scheduled to share 56 home dates in 2025.
- Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico (about 1,230 miles southeast of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: Santurce Cangrejeros (Puerto Rico winter league), Atleticos de San Juan and Academia Quintana (Puerto Rico Soccer League)
- Capacity: 18,000
- Why the Rays could play here: Puerto Rico is a hotbed of baseball, and MLB has held games at Hiram Bithorn previously. The stadium even hosted 44 games for the Montreal Expos between 2003 and 2004 as the island made a push for the team to make it their new home.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: While the winter league will leave the stadium open for the MLB season, Hiram Bithorn also hosts two pro soccer teams during the offseason. There are also long-term concerns about hosting games in Puerto Rico throughout hurricane season.
- Location: Oakland, California (about 2,840 miles west of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: No one anymore
- Capacity: 63,132
- Why the Rays could play here: It's empty! The Oakland A's played their last game at the Coliseum on September 29 on their way to Las Vegas. They'll be playing in a minor-league stadium in Sacramento for the next three seasons, leaving the Coliseum wanting for a tenant.
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: The A's leaving Oakland is a shame, but few were sad at the notion of never visiting the Coliseum again. From raccoon infestations to sewer flooding, the Coliseum has been considered the worst stadium in MLB, if not all of major American sports, for decades.
- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada (about 1,500 miles north of Tropicana Field)
- Who plays there: No one since 2004
- Capacity: 56,000
- Why the Rays could play here: Well this is awkward. The Rays floated a "sister city" plan in which the team would split its home schedule between St. Pete and Montreal. The pitch was shot down, but the Canadian city is certainly capable of hosting the events as Olympic Stadium remains ready for use (MLB even returned there for some exhibition games in 2014).
- Why the Rays shouldn't play here: The Oakland Coliseum gained the "worst park in baseball" mantra after the Expos left Montreal. The turf is probably the least of the concerns as the entire 1976 Olympic Park feels like a remnant of a nuclear disaster with vacant concrete structures all around.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Tropicana Field might not be fixed for 2025. Here's almost every option for Tampa Bay Rays
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