logo
MLB Notebook: Tampa Bay Rays looking for new home after roof ripped off during Hurricane Milton
alt
Brett Holden
Oct 18, 2024, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 18, 2024, 20:56 EDT
Comments
Hurricane Milton ravaged America’s Southeast this month, and Tropicana Field is included in that devastation. On October 10th, the stadium roof blew off as the Hurricane made its way through Tampa Bay. At the time, the stadium was being set up as a shelter for people displaced by the Hurricane searching for safety amid the historic hurricane.
While the stadium was being prepped as a hurricane shelter, concern was raised by one of the firms that built the stadium that the roof could deteriorate due to the power of the unprecedented winds. Unfortunately, they were correct, as the material used to create the roof in Tampa, Teflon fabric, only has a service life of 25 years; Tropicana Field has made zero upgrades to the roof in its 34 years of service.
Now, why was the fabric never refurbished or upgraded? Well, David Campbell, a principal at one of the groups who built the stadium, thinks it’s because the team has been waiting to move away from the stadium for some time now.
“They plan to be in a new building in the not-too-distant future. And they were hoping, I think, to make it.”
With the damage to the stadium, repairs will need to happen to the roof of Tropicana Field. However, it sounds like the restoration of the roof will take longer than the Rays organization would like. The fixes to the roof will extend past March 27th, Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season, meaning the Tampa Bay Rays will need to find a new home to start the season.
For now, the current options for the Rays’ new home are Steinbrenner Field, where the Yankees call home during Spring Training and The Stadium at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. While both options seem viable, upgrades would be required to the stadiums prior to the Rays playing at the grounds. Plus, with so many teams having Spring Training homes in Florida and near the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, there will be plenty of options for the Rays, including TD Ballpark, home of the Blue Jays in the Spring and the Dunedin Jays throughout the season. But, the MLB and MLBPA will have a say in the temporary home for the Rays for the 2025 season.
One team that has already declined to host the Rays is Tampa’s Triple-A club, the Durham Bulls. In a statement posted by the team, the Bulls confirmed that there have been no talks between the Rays and the Bulls on hosting the team temporarily and that a full-season partnership would not be possible due to “schedules overlapping and other logistical challenges.”
Montreal will also not be an option for the Rays despite speculation of the team splitting time between Florida and Montreal back in 2021-2022. Olympic Stadium in Montreal is currently closed due to a construction project that is scheduled to keep the stadium closed until 2028.
The Rays are slated to move into a new stadium in 2028 in the centre of Downtown St. Petersburg. 

News

Breaking News