With New $1.3B Stadium Out, Tampa Rays Move In To Makeshift Venue For ’25

By Barry Janoff

Steinbrenner FieldMarch 26, 2025: With plans to move into a newly built stadium sometime in the future officially off the board (for now), the Tampa Bay Rays are making the most of their temporary home in George M. Steinbrenner Field as their Tropicana Field venue undergoes storm-related damage repairs.

The Rays today shared new upgrades, additions, features and partners to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa as it prepares to open the 2025 season presented by Orlando Health.

The 2025 MLB regular season home opener on March 28 against the Colorado Rockies is sold out. The venue, which is the Spring Training facility for the New York Yankees, seats just over 11,000, plus standing room, with 13 luxury boxes.

The Rays said they have transformed Steinbrenner Field into their home for the regular season ”with more than 50 installers from five companies and more than 80 staff members working around the clock since Spring Training concluded. There are more than 3,000 individual pieces of marketing assets that are being installed,”

Returning Rays corporate partners this year include Amerant Bank (official bank), Coca-Cola Beverages Florida and Orlando Health. Some organizations have expanded their partnership with the Rays, including Colony Grill, now the team’s official pizza.

The Rays have signed such new corporate partners as the Mosaic Company, an American chemical company based in Tampa; and Webull, the tram’s official online brokerage,

Tropicana Field sustained significant damage in October due to Hurricane Milton, rendering the stadium unplayable for at least the upcoming season.

Earlier this month, in the latest move in a years-long saga in which the Rays have been seeking a new home, team ownership said it had ceased plans to build a proposed $1.3 billion ballpark and surrounding development project.

"After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said via the team. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.

"Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interests of our region, Major League Baseball and our organization.”

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch called the decision a “disappointment (but) not unexpected.”

MLB said it “remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region.”

The Rays have played in 25,000-seat Tropicana Field since their inaugural season in 1998. The new 30,000-seat venue was planned for the nearby Historic Gas Plant District.

Proposed Tampa Rays venueMLB said via the league, “Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community.

“Commissioner [Rob] Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from the announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club's future in the Tampa Bay region."

According to a “Facility Damage Assessment and Remediation Recommendation Report” from Hennessy Construction Services sent to the city after assessing damage from the hurricane, “Overall, (Tropicana Field) appears structurally sound and would be a viable candidate to continue to serve the City in providing continued service following hurricane damage repairs,” and can be repaired for about $55.7 million in time for the 2026 season.

A new roof would be the largest expense, about $23.6 million, according to the report.

In 2024, the Rays total attendance in Tropicana Field was 1,337,739 and average attendance was 16,515, 28th among MLB’s 30 teams, down from the previous year's total of 17,781.

Friendly Enemies: Rays Stay In Tampa For ’25 Season Thanks To Rival Yankees

Back to Home Page