The word Steinbrenner is synonymous with the New York Yankees. For decades, this family has been managing one of the major baseball teams in New York City, and they are doing a good job too! Hal Steinbrenner is now putting millions into upgrading the Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, not for themselves, as they already have Yankee Stadium, but for another team.

The Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays lost their home field, Tropicana Field, recently due to the tearing of its roof because of Hurricane Milton. The damages that the field had were around $55.7 million worth of money. The team hopes to return to Tropicana by 2026, but for 2025 they needed a new place to call home field. Steinbrenner graciously offered his field in Tampa and is also doing the necessary upgrades required for the Rays to play.

While everyone, especially the Rays, is grateful to Hal Steinbrenner for this move, the Major League commissioner has also expressed his thoughts. “The industry owes [Yankees principal owner] Hal Steinbrenner a real debt of gratitude, a ton of credit for the approach he took,” the MLB commissioner said. “He put literally tens of millions of dollars into improving Steinbrenner Field. The first people who are going to get to use it for any period of time are the Rays.”

“That support for the industry, that collegiality, is really an important thing,” Manfred added. Manfred couldn’t put an exact price on how much it’s going to cost to bring Sutter Home Park in West Sacramento up to Major League standards for the Athletics this season. But he was pretty explicit about the cost to get Steinbrenner Field in Tampa up to par for the Rays: $50 million. On March 27, Tampa will make its debut at the 11,026-seat stadium.

What does Hal Steinbrenner think about the whole situation? 

At the MLB Owners Meetings, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke candidly about the unique challenges involved in hosting the Tampa Bay Rays at their spring training home. This unprecedented scheduling situation requires careful logistical coordination, something that Legends Hospitality, the Yankees’ partner, has never tackled before.

Despite these challenges, Steinbrenner praised the Rays’ cooperation and the role they’ll play in handling most of the on-the-ground responsibilities. The Yankees will also need to make some upgrades to the facilities, like adding lights to a nearby field for the Single-A Tarpons and modifying the visitors’ clubhouse. However, Steinbrenner emphasized that these efforts will fall under the Rays’ responsibility, and their team has been very receptive to these necessary changes.

For the Yankees, this arrangement isn’t just about logistics—it’s also about community and doing the right thing for Tampa’s baseball fans, many of whom Steinbrenner counts as neighbors and friends. The $15 million the Yankees will receive for hosting the Rays will come from various sources, including insurance, not from Tampa Bay directly. It’s a win-win, allowing the Rays to continue playing while ensuring Steinbrenner and the Yankees can help keep baseball strong in the Tampa Bay region.