The 2025 season was an unusual one for the Tampa Bay Rays and their fanbase. Instead of playing at Tropicana Field, a stadium that many players and fans dislike, they played their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tropicana Field sustained a ton of damage when Hurricane Milton touched ground in 2024. Now, the field has been repaired, and the club will return there for the 2026 season.
Back at home, the fans are hoping for a bit of a better season from the Rays. They missed out on the postseason last year after posting a 77-85 record, and will have higher hopes for 2026.
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Rays' Cedric Mullins signing could be the steal of the offseason
Things could prove to be difficult for the Rays once again this upcoming season. They have lost some key players in trades. They lost Brandon Lowe in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Shane Baz in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles.
However, the club has been able to add some players who could be in store for a big season. One of these players to watch out for is Cedric Mullins.
He and the Rays agreed on a one-year, $7.5 million deal. That is the perfect contract for somebody coming off a rocky season while bouncing between the Orioles and New York Mets.
Mullins is not coming off his best season, mainly because he did not see the field as much as he had in previous seasons. Despite this, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer believes this was a great signing.
"The Rays made a $7.5 million bet that regular action could get Mullins' bat going again. It's a solid gamble based on how he was an above-average hitter across his eight years with the Orioles. And even as he struggled in 2025, his strikezone discipline remained on point."
Rymer believes consistent playing time can unlock the Mullins fans have been accustomed to seeing over the last few years. That would be a huge addition for Tampa Bay, but they still have some offseason work to do if they want to see significant improvement from last season.
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