The Yankees will welcome a division rival into their home this coming season.
Well, their spring training home, anyway.
On Thursday, the Rays announced that they will play their home games at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025. The Rays needed a temporary home after Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to the domed Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg, last month.
“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,’’ Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “The hurricane damage to Tropicana Field has forced us to take some extraordinary steps, just as Hurricanes Helene and Milton have forced thousands of families and businesses in our community to adapt to new circumstances as we all recover and rebuild.’’
As part of the agreement, the Yankees will still play their spring training games at GMS, an outdoor ballpark, in 2025. The Rays will continue to use Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte for spring training.
GMS is also the home of the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate. Multiple sources told the Daily News that no decisions have been made yet on how the Rays’ transition to the ballpark will impact the Tarpons. As of now, there are 42 dates when the Rays and Tarpons are both scheduled to play at home.
The Yankees, who often send major leaguers to rehab at GMS, are set to visit the Rays from April 17-20 and August 19-20.
“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,’’ Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said. “Both the Yankees organization and my family have deep roots in the Tampa Bay region, and we understand how meaningful it is for Rays players, employees and fans to have their 2025 home games take place within 30 minutes of Tropicana Field. In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what’s right for our community — which is continuing to help families and businesses rebound from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.’’
While the AP reported that the Yankees will get about $15 million in revenue for hosting the Rays, commissioner Rob Manfred said that he appreciated the collaboration between the two teams. He added that it was a goal for MLB to have the Rays play in their home market and to keep players local to avoid “disruption to their families.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays also considered Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark, the Phillies’ spring training home. However, they picked GMS in consultation with MLB.
While playing outdoors in the oft-rainy and warm state of Florida will provide challenges, the Rays said that they chose GMS as their interim home because it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region for MLB games. The stadium, which has multiple backfields, was already undergoing renovations, including upgraded field lighting, expanded home clubhouse space, and improved training and rehab capabilities.
Additional improvements are expected to be made before the regular season.
GMS is the largest spring-training stadium in the region with a capacity of 11,026. The Rays, who have traditionally struggled to fill The Trop, averaged 16,515 fans per game in 2024.
As of now, The Trop’s future is unclear.
According to a recent damage assessment report released by the St. Petersburg City Council, the stadium can be repaired in time for the 2026 season after sustaining serious roof and water damage from Hurricane Milton. However, the report put a $55.7 million price tag on those repairs. The Rays, meanwhile are set to open a new ballpark in 2028, a plan that predated Hurricane Milton.
With the Rays set to play at GMS, two MLB teams will call minor league stadiums home in 2025. The Athletics are the other, as they will play at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park after moving out of the Oakland Coliseum.
