MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL are looking to find the Tampa Bay Rays a temporary home near their fan base at least for the start of the 2025 season.
The Rays’ Tropicana Field had the roof completely shredded two weeks ago as Hurricane Milton battered parts of Florida.
Major League Baseball are looking to find the Tampa Bay Rays a temporary home near their fan base[/caption]
The Rays’ Tropicana Field had the roof completely shredded by Hurricane Milton[/caption]
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has revealed the league wants to find a location in the region if the damage can’t be repaired in time.
Manfred told The Varsity podcast: “We’re hopeful that we can figure out something in [the Tampa Bay area] for them and that the repairs can be done in a way that allows them to resume playing.
“The easiest thing is always to stay in the market where the clubs are anchored, if we can manage it.”
The Rays have been playing at Tropicana Field since their inaugural 1998 season.
And the baseball giants are now facing a bill up to $39million (£30m) due to the damages caused by Milton.
A number of spring training sites around the Tampa Bay area have been suggested as temporary homes for the Rays.
That includes the sites used by the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.
The Rays’ spring training complex in Port Charlotte, which is about 85 miles south of their base in St Petersburg, could also be considered.
Another option could be the ballpark at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando.
The Rays have said it could take weeks “to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field.”
Playing without a roof has also been considered, but the ground doesn’t have the drainage systems necessary in such a rain-prone location.
