The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, was torn off by Hurricane Milton's powerful winds. Satellite imagery from Maxar shows the destruction on Oct. 10, 2024. Prior to landfall, the stadium was converted into a base camp for emergency responders.
The wounds may not have even begun healing on the way the 2024 Phillies season ended, but one thing is certain - Phillies fans travel well and that won't stop because of a disappointing ending in the playoffs.
And with the holiday season right around the corner, it's a sure bet that some of those 2025 road trips are already being planned.
However, one trip that fans should hit pause on their planning, or at least be sure they have good travel insurance, is for a series scheduled in Tampa in May.
According to a report in the Tampa Bay Times the Tampa Bay Rays may be displaced for quite some time after 90 percent of the roof of their home ballpark, Tropicana Field, was torn to shreds by Hurricane Milton last week.
Now that the sun is up, here’s a 360-degree view of the damage Hurricane Milton caused to Tropicana Field’s roof and the inside of the ballpark. Absolutely heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/ZCtPHv6rE9
According to the Times, while overall assessment is still taking place, there was more than just damage to the roof and how much work would need to be done to repair the stadium is still unknown, however the Rays likely won't be able to start their season at home, which is slated for March 27 against the Colorado Rockies.
Of the Rays first 40 games next season, 25 of them were scheduled to be played at Tropicana Field, including a three-game series against the Phillies from May 6-8, a mere 39 days after the scheduled opener.
The Rays are also scheduled to break ground in January on a new stadium, adjacent to where Tropicana Field currently sits, with the hope of it opening in time for the 2028 season. Whether that timeline is now sped up because of the damage to the Trop is unclear, but it's looking more and more like the Rays need to seek an alternative.
A lot can happen between now and the start of the season, so there is still a lot to be determined, but there was one sentence in that article that seemed especially ominous about the Rays playing home games at the Trop not just in 2025, but ever again:
The Rays have to get a sense on whether they are looking for a temporary home for a few months, for a full season or for all three years.
The story went on to look at several options for the Rays as to where they can play games in 2025, and one of the locations mentioned was BayCare Ballpark, which is the Phillies spring training home and home of their Low A affiliate Clearwater Threshers.
However, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players' Association will have input on the use of minor league stadiums as they aren't large enough for attendance purposes and the facilities are not up to major league standards for their players.
The Rays could seek out another professional stadium to play in, but there aren't many options in that regard as well. The closest major league park is four hours away in Miami and the Rays and Marlins have a bevy of conflicts that they would have to work around to share the stadium. Olympic Stadium in Montreal is available - and the Rays flirted with the idea of playing some home games there in recent seasons, although that never came to fruition.
Meanwhile, opportunistic Tampa folk are trying to take advantage of the demise of the Rays home:
Pieces of Tropicana Field are being sold on eBay pic.twitter.com/d5xmNqgQFu
So, where that series against the Phillies is going to be played is still uncertain at this time, but the Rays are hoping to have some semblance of a plan within the next few weeks.
One other note about that series - the Phillies are scheduled to immediately fly from Tampa to Cleveland for a series against the Guardians right after it with no off day in between. As such, the Phillies travel after the Rays' series also has to be taken into consideration when scheduling.
In short, fans should pick another road trip to go see the Phillies next season and avoid whatever ends up happening in early May.
