The Yankees will welcome a division rival into their residence this coming season.
Effectively, their spring coaching residence, anyway.
On Thursday, the Rays introduced that they may play their residence video games at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Area in 2025. The Rays wanted a brief residence after Hurricane Milton precipitated important harm to the domed Tropicana Area, situated in St. Petersburg, final month.
“We deeply admire that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Area for the 2025 season,’’ Rays proprietor Stuart Sternberg mentioned in an announcement. “The hurricane harm to Tropicana Area has compelled us to take some extraordinary steps, simply as Hurricanes Helene and Milton have compelled 1000’s of households and companies in our neighborhood to adapt to new circumstances as all of us get well and rebuild.’’
As a part of the settlement, the Yankees will nonetheless play their spring coaching video games at GMS, an out of doors ballpark, in 2025. The Rays will proceed to make use of Charlotte Sports activities Park in Port Charlotte for spring coaching.
GMS can be the house of the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate. A number of sources informed the Every day Information that no selections have been made but on how the Rays’ transition to the ballpark will influence the Tarpons. As of now, there are 42 dates when the Rays and Tarpons are each scheduled to play at residence.
The Yankees, who usually ship main leaguers to rehab at GMS, are set to go to the Rays from April 17-20 and August 19-20.
“We’re comfortable to increase our hand to the Rays and their followers by offering a serious league-quality facility for them to make the most of this season,’’ Yankees proprietor Hal Steinbrenner mentioned. “Each the Yankees group and my household have deep roots within the Tampa Bay area, and we perceive how significant it’s for Rays gamers, workers and followers to have their 2025 residence video games happen inside half-hour of Tropicana Area. In occasions like these, rivalry and competitors take a again seat to doing what’s proper for our neighborhood — which is constant to assist households and companies rebound from the devastation attributable to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.’’
Whereas the AP reported that the Yankees will get about $15 million in income for internet hosting the Rays, commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned that he appreciated the collaboration between the 2 groups. He added that it was a objective for MLB to have the Rays play of their residence market and to maintain gamers native to keep away from “disruption to their families.”
In keeping with the Tampa Bay Occasions, the Rays additionally thought-about Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark, the Phillies’ spring coaching residence. Nevertheless, they picked GMS in session with MLB.
Whereas taking part in open air within the oft-rainy and heat state of Florida will present challenges, the Rays mentioned that they selected GMS as their interim residence as a result of it’s the best-prepared facility within the Tampa Bay area for MLB video games. The stadium, which has a number of backfields, was already present process renovations, together with upgraded discipline lighting, expanded residence clubhouse area, and improved coaching and rehab capabilities.
Further enhancements are anticipated to be made earlier than the common season.
GMS is the most important spring-training stadium within the area with a capability of 11,026. The Rays, who’ve historically struggled to fill The Trop, averaged 16,515 followers per sport in 2024.
As of now, The Trop’s future is unclear.
In keeping with a current harm evaluation report launched by the St. Petersburg Metropolis Council, the stadium might be repaired in time for the 2026 season after sustaining critical roof and water harm from Hurricane Milton. Nevertheless, the report put a $55.7 million price ticket on these repairs. The Rays, in the meantime are set to open a brand new ballpark in 2028, a plan that predated Hurricane Milton.
With the Rays set to play at GMS, two MLB groups will name minor league stadiums residence in 2025. The Athletics are the opposite, as they may play at Sacramento’s Sutter Well being Park after shifting out of the Oakland Coliseum.
