MLB wants Rays to play home games in Tampa Bay area even if Tropicana Field isn't repaired in time

Parts of the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., were torn off after Hurricane Milton made landfall. (Credit: X /Bill Carl Johnson)

The Tampa Bay Rays’ home field for the 2025 season remains uncertain after Hurricane Milton devastated Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Major League Baseball hopes the franchise can find a way to keep the team’s temporary home near its fan base if damage at "The Trop" cannot be repaired in time, Commissioner Rob Manfred said on "The Varsity" podcast Sunday. 

"We’re hopeful that we can figure out something in [the Tampa Bay area] for them and that the repairs can be done in a way that allows them to resume playing," Manfred explained on the podcast. "The easiest thing is always to stay in the market where the clubs are anchored if we can manage it."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Tropicana Field before a game between the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)

The suggested alternate home fields for the Rays have been spring training sites of the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers, which are all within a reasonable distance from Tropicana Field. The Rays’ spring training complex in Port Charlotte is further away than those sites. 

Another option is Disney’s massive ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando. 

RAYS REACT TO HURRICANE MILTON DECIMATING THEIR HOME TROPICANA FIELD ROOF

The problem with the spring training sites is they host minor league teams after the MLB clubs head north for the regular season. An adjustment of schedules would be necessary depending on what the Rays end up doing for the 2025 campaign.

The fiberglass dome at