"For several years, the upper decks of Tropicana Field were closed off due to lack of interest. This lack of interest is almost entirely due to stadium's location far from downtown Tampa, as has been addressed many times. The Bucs are closer to downtown and manage a near-sell-out crowd despite relatively similar recent performance."
"Shane McClanahan was one of the best in the game prior to his Tommy John surgery, clocking elite velocity and extension, resulting in a top-eight percentile whiff rate among all pitchers. The problem for the Rays? His surgery was on August 15, 2023. A lot's happened since then, but McClanahan is still just 29 years of age and shows a lot of promise to go with an 8.0 career WAR in fewer than 3 seasons."
"The next storm the team has to weather is deciding whether to play baseball in Tampa or St. Petersburg. This decision will be tantamount to any other decision the team makes before the conclusion of the 2028 season, when the lease runs out."
Tropicana Field has been renovated and reopened following significant damage from Hurricane Milton, though with reduced capacity. The Rays face multiple challenges entering the season, including the stadium's location disadvantage compared to downtown Tampa venues and a weakened roster from a 2024 fire sale. The team must also decide on a permanent location before their 2028 lease expires. Despite these obstacles, the Rays maintain cautious optimism. Their pitching staff centers on Shane McClanahan, a 29-year-old recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in August 2023, who previously demonstrated elite performance with top-tier velocity and whiff rates. Drew Rasmussen provides additional rotation depth following his recent All-Star selection.
Read at Over the Monster
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