“Right now we’re not concerned about whether we’ll be ready for opening day April 6. And we hope we keep it that way,” City Manager Beth Herendeen told reporters (including Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times And Kristie Ackert of The Associated Press). The city completed the reinstallation of the roof panels last month and is now focusing on the interior work. That includes repairs to the clubhouses, seating areas and improvements to the video board.
There will also be a new artificial grass field. Ackert writes that work on the playing surface could begin in January, while Topkin notes that the team is hopeful it will be completed by the end of Spring Training. That would allow them to get familiar with the grass before regular season games start. The Rays open the season with road games in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minnesota. They will host the Cubs and Yankees in their first homestand from April 6-12.
The Rays played the 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. That is an open-air stadium with a capacity of approximately 11,000. While the Trop is often maligned compared to other MLB stadiums, it is undoubtedly preferable to playing in an A-ball facility.
The Rays’ lease on Tropicana Field initially ran through 2027. That was extended for another year when the facility was decommissioned. Assuming everything stays on track for next season, the lease will expire after the ’28 campaign. The city of St. Petersburg, as landlord, was responsible for the repair costs and approved just under $60 million. The Rays remain in search of a long-term stadium deal in the Tampa area. That’s the main goal of new owner Patrick Zalupski, who bought the franchise from Stu Sternberg after the latter tried to renegotiate the stadium deal after the 2024 Hurricanes stalled.
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