While certainly not the main impact of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton on the state of Florida, the damage from the storm left the Tampa Bay Rays wondering where they might play their home games for 2025. MLB season. Tropicana field left in tatters in their wake, the wind tears the roof off the dome and leaves the field, leaving it vulnerable to the elements.
Almost immediately, the team announced it would not be able to play at the Trop next season, eyeing a return in 2026 after significant repairs. What they could do in the meantime was an open question, one without many right answers; Aside from picking up the team and moving it to another state — which presents a whole host of logistical issues, not to mention the optics of leaving behind a fan base that has just been hit by two different hurricanes — the may be the only option to play in one of the many Minor League stadiums on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
And sure enough, that’s exactly what the Rays have decided to do, announcing Thursday that the team will play its 2025 home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa — also known as the New York Yankees‘spring training facility.
Statement by Hal Steinbrenner about the rays using GMS field:
“We are pleased to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing them with a Major League-quality facility to utilize this season. Both the Yankees organization and my family have deep roots in Tampa…
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 14, 2024
The irony of playing “home” games in a park named after the iconic former owner of a division rival aside, this was making the best of a bad situation. But let’s not forget that these are the Yankees we’re talking about, lest you think this was an act of pure altruism. And with the Yankees, everything has a price.
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New York won’t let the Rays use their facility for free; on the contrary, the deal between the two teams will generate about $15 million in revenue for the Yankees.
According to an AP MLB report, the #yankees will generate approximately $15 million in additional revenue next season based on their agreement to develop the #Rays to play their home games at Steinbrenner Field.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) November 14, 2024
Granted, welcoming Tampa Bay isn’t without obstacles for New York, as the stadium also serves as a player development complex and home to the Yankees’ Single-A club during the regular season. We don’t yet have specific details on how accommodating a Major League team will affect these arrangements, but it’s safe to say it’s not nothing.
Still, it’s not like the Yankees needed the money, and now they can just turn around and spend that extra money on the biggest offseason possible — if Juan Soto’s contract ends with an extra zero at the end, then I know Why.