Rays change their mind, ask for Tropicana Field to be repaired

The Return of the Catwalk

Just six weeks ago, we witnessed a crazy St. Pete City Council meeting in which the council first approved and then withdrew funds to initiate and support repairs to Tropicana Field.

In between these two votes on November 21, Rays’ President Brian Auld had told reporters that the team actually didn’t want the city to repair the ballpark, which — given the lack of any reasonable, long-term local alternatives for the team — seemed wild AND a sign that the Rays had at least one and maybe two feet out the door.

At the very least, it seemed that the Rays had played their last game at the Trop.

READ MORE: St. Petersburg City Council approves, rescinds funds to repair Tropicana Field’s roof

Well, it seems that the Rays have had a change of heart.

The Rays sent this letter to St. Pete’s administrator, Rob Gerdes, on December 30:

Dear City Administrator Gerdes,

We would like to clear up any uncertainty relating to the repair and reconstruction of Tropicana Field. While we had been open to considering a scenario in which the City bought out of its obligation to rebuild the ballpark, the Rays support and expect the City to rebuild Tropicana Field in accordance with the terms of the current Use Agreement.

City Architect Raul Quintana made a presentation to City Council on December 12th with a schedule showing City Council approval of the GMP in March 2025 and the completion of the rebuild by Opening Day 2026. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred also advised us that the City indicated that it is at least possible that the stadium could be ready for opening day 2026.

As I am sure you can appreciate, there is a very significant difference for the Rays between the repairs being completed for Opening Day on the one hand and a completion date later in the season on the other. A partial 2026 season in Tropicana Field would present massive logistical and revenue challenges for the Team. It is therefore critical that the rebuild start in earnest as soon as possible, that a realistic completion schedule be developed quickly and that the City diligently pursue the reconstruction as required by the Use Agreement.

We acknowledge and accept that, under the terms of the current Use Agreement, as a result of the destruction, the Term of the Use Agreement will be extended through the end of the 2028 MLB Season.

The League and the Rays stand at the ready to work hand in hand with the City throughout the reconstruction process to make sure the design and implementation satisfy MLB requirements and meet the necessary deadlines. We will convene an internal committee led by Melanie Lenz, and I suggest that we establish a working group with key City personnel to meet on not less than a weekly basis to discuss progress and implement key decisions. The League has indicated that they will be hiring an independent advisor to evaluate the timeline and monitor progress, and their advisor should also be part of the working group.

We look forward to a grand reopening.

Sincerely,

Matt Silverman

In essence, the Rays want St. Pete to go ahead with repairs, and “expect” the stadium to be ready in time for the 2026 season (which is of course less likely today than it would have been if the process had gotten started on November 21, 2024).

On the whole this letter is far more courteous than the team’s previous letters to public officials, so it’s curious that it was not widely disseminated when initially sent.

Let’s break down some key statements:

1. This clause — “While we had been open to considering a scenario in which the City bought out of its obligation to rebuild the ballpark” — seems intended to address the question of why the Rays discouraged the council from moving ahead with repairs earlier: they were considered asking the city to forgo repairs in exchange for cash into the team’s pockets. How getting that cash would have resolved the question of where they’d be playing the next few years is not clear. Nor is it clear why they changed their minds about that option.
2. Silverman now acknowledges that the current use agreement is extended through 2028, a key element in the Act of God clause which extends the use agreement if the Rays play somewhere other than Tropicana Field due to the stadium being unplayable.
3. Setting up a working group with Rays Chief Development Officer Melanie Lenz — who has not been the face of any of the finger pointing and bad blood coming from the Rays brass — and members of the city administration seems like an effort to move beyond the distrust that has built up. It’s interesting that MLB will have an “independent auditor” who would be part of that group as well.

Reading between the lines: Rob Manfred/MLB’s hands are all over this.

Since Milton, the demands and the tone of the Rays leadership made it look as though they were ready — even happy — to walk away from St. Petersburg. Manfred’s intervention appears to have walked everyone, from the County Commission to the Rays front office, back from the brink.

Does this mean smooth sailing toward Tropicana Field repairs and a new stadium in 2029 as per the terms of last summer’s deal? We are not foolish enough to venture predictions in this now decade-long stadium saga. The good faith read is that the team has the idea that playing in minor league stadiums for years is a nonstarter, meaning the repair of Tropicana Field to serve until the new ballpark is complete is the only way forward.