The Tampa Bay Rays have expressed the need for repairs to Tropicana Field after damage from Hurricane Milton. Rays President Matt Silverman informed St. Petersburg City Administrator Rob Gerdes that the team expects the stadium to be ready for Opening Day 2026, as noted in a WFLA report.
"It is therefore critical that the rebuild start in earnest as soon as possible, that a realistic completion schedule be developed quickly and that the City diligently pursue the reconstruction as required by the Use Agreement," Silverman wrote in a Dec. 30 letter obtained by Bleacher Report.
The stadium’s roof and parts of the interior were damaged by Hurricane Milton. Initially, the Rays appeared open to a settlement to relieve the City of St. Petersburg from its repair responsibilities. However, with repair costs estimated at around $56 million, the conversation has changed. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays, who had previously considered a settlement, are now expecting repairs in line with the current use agreement.
The situation is complicated by financial considerations. An initial vote by the city council approved over $23 million for repairs, but this decision was later reversed. Coupled with the threats to future stadium plans, the Rays co-president Brian Auld expressed uncertainty about the team's ability to play at Tropicana Field, concretizing the precarious nature of the team’s immediate future at the venue. "I can't say I'm confident about anything," Auld told the council members in a report by Bleacher Report.
The deadline for a new stadium proposal in the Gas Plant District, estimated at $1.3 billion, is approaching, with a significant portion relying on public funding. Delays in the timeline, pushing the opening to 2029 instead of 2028, could complicate matters. If Tropicana Field is repaired, the Rays are committed to playing there for three more seasons.
