Division rival to help Rays with temporary home in 2025

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner released a statement on the agreement on Thursday afternoon.

As far as temporary solutions go, it is probably as good as the Rays and their fans could have possibly hoped for because it keeps the team local and will allow fans to still attend games this season. 

Steinbrenner Field has a capacity of around 11,000. The Rays averaged just over 16,500 fans per home game during the 2024 season, the third-lowest total in the league.

If nothing else, the Rays should have an opportunity to play in front of a packed stadium every night, which should at least help create a better environment than what they had at half-empty Tropicana Field.

It is also beneficial for the Yankees as they are set to gain an estimated $15 million in additional revenue by allowing the Rays to play their games in the park. 

The only real potential downfalls here revolve around the weather, which could disrupt some games (due to rain) and make for some uncomfortable days and nights in the summer due to the heat. 

It also creates a bizarre situation for Major League Baseball where two of its teams will be playing games in minor league/spring training stadiums this season. The Athletics are going to be playing the first of three seasons in Sacramento while they await their (hopeful) permanent in Las Vegas, while the Rays will be playing at Steinbrenner Field. 

The Rays are expected to open a new stadium in time for the 2028 season.

Repairs to Tropicana Field are expected to cost more than $56 million dollars, according to The Athletic's Sam Blum and Jayson Stark. The bulk of that cost will go toward repairing the roof of the stadium.