Yankees acknowledge ‘odd’ Rays series at Steinbrenner Field

TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees are visitors in their spring training home for the first time.

New York was back at Steinbrenner Field for a four-game series against the displaced Tampa Bay Rays, who are using their AL East rival’s ballpark for their home games this season.

“I bumped into [Rays manager] Kevin Cash walking in, I bumped into some Rays players,” New York manager Aaron Boone said before Thursday night’s game, a 6-3 Yankees win. “I don’t know if surreal is the right word, but it’s definitely a little bit odd and I’m sure once the game starts and looking around the stadium and all that, it’s real. It’s a real game, but we’re ready to go.”

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The Rays needed a rental stadium after Hurricane Milton tore off the roof panels at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct 9. The ballpark couldn’t be repaired quickly and the Rays made a deal with the Yankees to use their open-air 11,026-capacity spring training facility across the bay in Tampa.

“I think this was for the good of baseball, for the good of the Rays,” Boone said. “I know their organization, our organization worked very well together in making it viable and it’s just the right thing to do on all fronts. When something like that storm happens, it’s bigger than obviously we compete hard against each other, they’re one of our main rivals but to do the right thing always feels good.”

The Yankees’ generosity meant Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the rest of New York’s roster have to spend four days in a cramped clubhouse while the Rays enjoy palatial surroundings. The visiting team dining area is usually the media cafe during spring training.

Last winter, the Yankees completed a major renovation of the clubhouse, doubling player and staff space to 50,000 square feet. There is a two-story weight room with floor-to-ceiling windows and garage door, indoor and outdoor stretching areas, a pingpong table, a barbershop, eight beds in an athletic trainers area, massage rooms and a SwimEx along with hot and cold tubs with TVs at water level, a sauna red-light therapy and four batting cages. Each player locker has a safe along with USB and USB-C ports. There is a 70-seat meeting room, six private offices and 12 desks for additional staff.

“First of all, it is amazing to have that as our spring training home, now is really awesome, and guys really took advantage of it this year,” Boone said. “But your mind switches to once you leave, like we know we’re in the season, we know it was expected, so I don’t even really let myself go there.”

Boone had left a note for Cash before the Yankees went up north in March. He meant to leave a bottle of tequila with the note but forgot so he sent it over before the game.

“Just kind of my housewarming gift,” Boone said.

What kind of tequila?

“The good stuff,” Boone said with a smile.