Major League Baseball

In an interview with Chris Russo on SiriusXM, commissioner Rob Manfred reiterated that "we believe in the market" and remains hopeful the Trop will be ready for the Rays in 2026.

Capacity at the Rays' temporary Tampa home will be just over 10,000, about 40% of Tropicana Field’s configuration of 25,025. Nevertheless, it's the 19th straight year the team has sold out the home opener.

The Rays want to make recently upgraded Steinbrenner Field a home away from home. But there's a lot of work to do in the five days between the end of spring training and Tampa Bay's regular-season opener.

On this episode of "Florida Matters," we talk about the history of spring training in the region and visit one of the major league teams that come here for get ready for regular season: the Baltimore Orioles.

Team president Erik Neander says the Rays have dealt with stadium questions throughout their existence but tend to overcome: "This is what we do. I think we do it pretty well.”

Tampa Bay is putting together the pieces to make Steinbrenner Field its 2025 home. That includes fan giveaways, beginning with a schedule magnet on Opening Day, March 28, against Colorado.

The Orlando Dreamers, an organization founded in 2019 to lure a team to Central Florida, is renewing its quest for a team with Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin as its frontman.

The state's spring training sites come alive once again. And Rays fans get a brief respite from stadium talk while the team preps for an entire season played outdoors in Tampa.

The Rays are not the only ones unable to use the storm-battered stadium. More than 50 events, including high school graduations, have to relocate.

The Rays worked with Major League Baseball to craft a schedule that considers weather, traffic and other events in the area. Starting in June, weeknight games begin at 7:35 and Sunday games at 12:05 p.m.

A spokesperson in the Dominican Republic says the Tampa Bay shortstop was allegedly fighting with another man over a woman's attention.

With St. Petersburg just beginning the assessment of the hurricane-ravaged Tropicana Field, Rob Manfred is "hopeful" the team can play in the home market until the new stadium is built.