A general view of George M. Steinbrenner Field. Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Rays make decision on their 2025 home stadium

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Nov 14, 2024 2:24 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays have made their decision on where they will play home games for the 2025 season.

The Rays announced Thursday that they will play games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The stadium also plays host to the Tampa Tarpons of the Single-A Florida State League.

In a statement, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the organization was “happy to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing a Major League-quality facility for them to utilize,” and noted that it would allow players and staff to maintain a home within 30 minutes of Tropicana Field.

#Yankees Hal Steinbrenner, on deal with #Rays:
"We are happy to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing a Major League-quality facility for them to utilize this season. Both the Yankees organization and my family have deep roots in the Tampa Bay region, and we…

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) November 14, 2024

The move comes after the Rays announced repair plans for Tropicana Field on Tuesday that will not have the stadium ready for play again until 2026. The stadium’s roof was effectively shredded by Hurricane Milton in October, leading to internal damage as well.

Steinbrenner Field is the best local option the Rays could manage. It seats 11,026, smaller than any standard stadium, but larger than any other spring training stadium in Florida.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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