can't expect less from you two. let's go yankees

The Rays are playing in Pinellas County. The revenues and tax dollars are not going to go to Hillsborough.

Port Charlotte baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can’t they use the Yankees spring training field (Steinbrenner Field)? It has plenty of room for what fans are left to watch the Rays for regular season.

Sad to say, but if the Rays play the next 3 years at Disney, I will be forced to boycott the Rays. Everyone knows how evil the Disney empire is.

I'm anti Disney, evil empire.

We need to keep Dewayne, Brian, Doug and Tricia, the TV broadcasts actually do pretty good financially. Start your own production company if needed.

They obviously need to fire hitting coach Chad Mottola the hitting coach, because we can't hit, I don't blame it all on him but that's the starting point.

Really appreciate Doug Waechter's thoughts on the wdae podcast, He attended the 1st game ever as a high school fan and as his first start in the majors as a Ray at the Trop and as a Ray's broadcaster and for what might be the last game ever there. Wow! Doug is our ambassador to the trop past, present and future. I think the stadium is out of commission for at least a year or more and it might be "totaled", look how long it took to fix Port Charlotte facility after that hurricane. Does it make sense to even fix it just to tear it down in 2 years? probably not. I think Al Lang Field which has a rich MLB history (circa 1947) 77 years old stadium could be the ticket pardon the pun. St. Petersburg has hosted more Major League Baseball spring training games than any other city since 1914 (110 years). Look up the list of iconic players that played in St. Pete. The city's warm weather, palm trees, and ocean views make it an ideal location for spring training. Add 5,000 seats/ bleacher seats, home plate pointing straight to the marina and bay, what a beautiful view! Kayaks in the bay catching home runs. Put some sunshades overhead. Downtown St. Pete. What's not to like, I would be happy to pay more to go to that venue. Also, who owns Al Lang stadium????? You guessed it, its Stu. And on top of that they could keep the stadium upgrades and flex games there weather permitting a few times a year just to mix it up...... this is a no brainer. keep it in St. Pete and showcase the city and the strength of everyone to overcome the devastation that happened to the region. Rays up!

Will Yandy Diaz and/or Jonathan Aranda still be Rays next season? Same with Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, and Jose Siri? Are the Rays going to bring in any new acquisitions for shortstop and catcher or will it just be internal options in 2025?

Hi Gentlemen, I've been subscribed and religiously following your KZbin channel for a couple of seasons. You both do a great job everyday! Given the horrific situation created by Hurricane Milton, I have been trying to figure out the Rays best approach to finding a place tobplay for 2025 thru 2027. I have to believe that replacing the roof and dealing with other costs associated with standing water on a field with no drainage will still be the best approach from a financial standpoint given the greater seating capacity and a field that is not subject to rainouts and doubleheaders. As I understand it, the average Trop hone game attendance is more than double the sold out capacity of any minor league stadium in which they may be able to play. Let's start with a huge tarp over the Trop to prevent future rain incursion while they pump out water, deal with mold, etc.. The city of St. Pete and Pinellas County no doubt have some insurance and Stu is just gonna have to throw a few million to construct a new roof. The potential additional losses from the Bally bankruptcy and the Wander contract, while disturbing will be more easily absorbed with 3 years of a regular schedule at the Trop. - Al Parrow

I can get any MLB or NFL game live for free on the old firestick, the app is " the crew" been doing that for at least 5 years. cable and streaming apps are dead.

Jose Siri was a mistake to acquire in the first place, he can’t hit, attitude is suspect, and he had no track record. Time to let him go

Thanks for moving through the tough decisions so concisely. So much on the plate at once can be numbingly uncertain. These are big, big issues. Franco's contract status might be further delayed since the third party involved (the Dominican legal system) is rather fluid, let's say. Of course, getting that settled, hopefully off the books entirely, would be great. More urgent is the field issue. So many factors involved. That must be consuming the leadership's focus. I suppose MLB has been considering options for the TV issue for some time now - they better have been diligently working on options for every team involved. The stadium, though? No, contingencies might be out there, but not far along, I suspect. I went to the Plant City field decades ago. It's pleasant, with walk-up field-level viewing at that time. Couldn't imagine what condition it is in, or the amount of work needed. Still, it certainly must be on the shortlist since an all-out effort is assumedly not constrained by other tenants?

Just hope they can get a deal with another channel maybe TBS could work out

Had major tech difficulties when I had MLB TV's online service. Periodic buffering and stoppages made it very difficult to deal with. Could have been my internet connection, but have heard similar complaints from a number of other customers as well.

Sincerely hope that a deal can be worked out with Bally to keep the Rays. Have sampled the coverage of all 30 teams with the MLB package and can't think of an overall broadcast production team who does a better presentation of its product than the Rays.

Didn't amazon purchase tv rights to some mlb teams? I thought in the bankruptcy process amazon got involved and have the rights to 5 teams?

Maybe the team should be sold to an owner who will not be cheap. This reminds me of the New Orleans Saints in 2005.

In France… we had the same issue this year with the tv rights for the soccer Ligue1. No tv deal so now all the games are available online… and it sucks.

Never thought we would be discussing where the Rays will be playing in 2025. Thought the discussion would be centered upon player acquisitions and subtractions for next season. But that is life. It always manages to present unforeseen changes/challenges.

One place I haven't heard suggested that the MLB has played baseball games in that also has a dome is the Alamo dome. Not the most ideal but better than them playing in oakland and us having to stay up until 2am to watch games every night

Most teams are fussing about the GGs. Marlins fans talking legitimately about Otto Lopez at 2B, IMO.

What a wrench the hurricane threw in the Rays' plans. Did you hear David Samson's comments? He says no repairs forthcoming on the Trop. I saw a Reds ST in Plant City once, probably forty years ago. Didn't know it was still there. The soccer stadium idea is a new one for me. So many questions because we can't know the Rays' thinking and there's no real numbers yet. Brodie Brazil said he's sticking with $200m in repairs. Yikes.

Port Charlotte is the answer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would the rays pay someone to rent there stadium. They own the Rowdies and have a stadium right next door they can use. Use the money from insurance and upgrade Al Lang stadium. They can use it for baseball for 3 seasons. Its not a bad look to not fix the roof it just doesnt make sense. Nobody likes the trop so why fix it? Al lang stadium only seats 7500 but with insurance money it can be upgraded to seat more people.

The roof won't be fixed in time I think. RJS might not work unless a net is put up on one side of the field (ala LA Coliseum during the first few years of the Dodgers time in LA) to prevent easy home runs

If I ran the Team which happens to be a business that answers to shareholders etc. I put the minimum back into the stadium like installing a drainage system. Put the balance of the property damage policy proceeds into the corporate coffers and wait for the new park. I owe the fans zilch. It's a 40,000 seat stadium and last year attendance averaged 17K. If there was fan support maybe I would be motivated. It's not like this is a moneymaker.

Being from Durham, I vote the rays come to the DBAP! 😂

the schedule exists already - maybe if they lucked out but I'd have to look maybe they could play home games for awhile in either Atlanta or Miami if those teams are on the road at the same time the Rays have scheduled home games - maybe that might work for 4-6 weeks - and if needed maybe maybe any team they have one home and home series with could flip flop the home dates

Come on! Let's Go Yankees 😊

Could have been all the bullet holes in the fabric. Worked on cuppala years ago and maintenance had to repair holes from rounds that I even found from 22 to buckshot

Let's not get all in our feelings about a building like you said people were safe no one got hurt that's the most important part not a damn building that's going to be torn down in a couple years

Totally agree on the Guardians. Took a trip to Cleveland in early June and saw a couple of Guardians games against the Royals. They have a well balanced team with an excellent leadoff hitter in Stephen Kwan, good power with Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Lane Thomas. A solid though not spectacular rotation and a very deep, effective bullpen led by closer Emmanuel Clase with Tim Hearrin, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith setting him up. Stephen Vogt has done a really good job as a first year manager succeeding Terry Francona, who will be in Cincinnati as manager of the Reds in 2025.

Guess the band aid approach is the most viable option until the new ball park opens up.

I know that football stadiums stink as baseball stadiums but I've always wanted to see the rays play in Ray Jay. There's very little issue with crossover of baseball and football. Oakland used to have a baseball diamond on their field for the first few games of the season and no one cared. I think it would be so sweet to see a homerun go into the pirate ship! Plus you have the Yankees facilities for BP and fielding practice right there. Any games that may coincide with Bucs or USF football then you could play at Steinbrenner field.

Still say Royal Caribbean; it’s a Florida based company and our mascot is a fish. You could project Rays swimming in the Caribbean on the rooftop like they do with the Sphere in Vegas. Just spitballing here but it’s a nobrainer.

what about this affecting the ability to attract free agents this offseason. If at Port Charlotte, do players drive 2 hours back to their homes in St. Pete before and after each game or buy a home there. Dunedin is my choice if that's even possible. Its possible they condemn the Trop., water damage from open roof. Stu wanted them in Montreal for half the home games.

Let's Go Mets! Let's Go Mets!

If they do replace the roof. Maybe use a light orange or light blue color.

Completely selfish question here. Will the people with season tickets for next year be offered a refund for any games played away from the Trop if that is the way this goes? Yeah, I'm a jerk for asking such a question but I think it's a valid concern.

So, us as fans sitting in the Trop under the roof were subjected to a roof that was outdated and could fail in a thunderstorm? not very cool.

I drove past the trop when i was dropping my dad off at work. I'm so devastated. I really hope they can get this roof fixed before opening day. Would hate to see the Rays place elsewhere in 2025. But thankful that the stadium did not get flooded. I think they will either play at Wide World of Sports at Disney if it's not fixed in time.

The Blue jays played a full season in minor league parks so I do think they might play somewhere else..I do think that the construction will start little early

I agree that Port Charlotte could work to buy time, if needed. We'll need the money picture, including insurance, if any, before the feasibility determination. That includes the ancillary damage.

You're right - everyone was just trying to play out the Trop, despite the anticipated roof life. We all do it, right? Our ACs, appliances, roofs. If it's working... Also, I heard the Rays were paying into a capital improvements account for things like this. I know Florida law requires such accounts for condo associations, tine shares, etc.

Good question as to who was in charge of the facility and the safety. Fema had the Trop set up as a staging area with hundreds of Kots set up in the outfield, then pulled out at the last minute.

one idea I heard was Blue Jays/ Dunedin. Of Course, Stu wanted to have half the games in Montreal just 2 years ago. Lots of cancelled games if not a dome and it will take at least 5-7 months to repair the Trop if it can be repaired..

Thank you for addressing the 🐘in the room. Does it make sense to repair the roof at this point with a venue that has a limited shelf life? This is not unprecedented. The A's starting next season are going to be playing in a minor league park in Sacramento for two, perhaps even three seasons until the ballpark in Vegas is ready to go. But this is our beloved Rays. Would not want to see them become an east coast version of the A's.

@mikeh1242 9 hours ago (edited) I'm a fan of the Ray's and live nearby and this was hard to see, and I don't know what's going to happen. Everyone makes fun of the stadium and that's ok. But in South Florida for 80 games you need a dome, you need rain protection, you need a/c. The owner doesn't have the money to repair the stadium let alone come up with his share of the new stadium costs ($750 mil) He will need to fire sale the team is my prediction, and the new owners will take the team somewhere else unfortunately. Charlotte or Nashville