City Administrator Rob Gerdes told the Tampa Bay Rays in a letter last week that St. Petersburg is under no obligation to repair Tropicana Field in time for Opening Day 2026. The back-and-forth exchange between the Rays and the Pinellas County Commission over next steps after Hurricane Milton tore the roof off the stadium is now happening between the city and the team on repairs to Tropicana

According to the Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg City Administrator Rob Gerdes told the Rays in a letter that the city is “under no obligation to repair Tropicana Field in time for Opening Day 2026." Gerdes said that the city’s agreement with the Rays “doesn’t come with a deadline” and as a result,