Rays' $24M All-Star makes honest admission about playing in George M. Steinbrenner Field

The Tampa Bay Rays are set to begin the 2025 Major League Baseball season, and Brandon Lowe will be one of their leaders. The second baseman is currently on a $24 million contract, and the All-Star will be expected to help lead the team throughout the year.

Things will look much different for the Rays in 2025 as they will be playing away from Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay will be playing at the Spring Training home of the New York Yankees, but Lowe believes it will provide a unique opportunity for the Rays.

“All of our guys are going to get a little bit more Vitamin D this year,” Lowe said.

Lowe made these comments to The Athletic's Chad Jennings in a piece that described the move to George M. Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season. Even though this will create a unique situation for the Rays, Lowe believes his teammates are excited about the opportunity.

“I don’t think anybody is too upset about. I think, honestly, everybody is pretty excited to see what it’s all like," Lowe added.

The MLB gave the Rays an additional day to prepare as the team worked Thursday to tear down signage featuring the New York Yankees. Tropicana Field was destroyed by Hurricane Milton in November, but the Rays were already exploring other options for a future stadium.

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot confident in rotation despite losing ace

The Tampa Bay Rays will be without ace Shane McClanahan on Opening Day as the star is dealing with a triceps injury. Starting pitching was supposed to be a strength of the Rays in 2025, and new Opening Day starter Ryan Pepiot believes it still will be.

On Tuesday, Pepiot shared his thoughts on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM:

"It's a very fun group," Pepiot said. "We're a very tight-knit group as well ... They're all fantastic. McClanahan is a certified ace, a couple-time All-Star. Don't have to talk a whole lot about him. Taj is incredible, fantastic stuff.

"Electric stuff. Super excited for him to be back in the rotation. He throws hard, mixes speeds. Littell paints and pitches a little different... Shane Baz, getting a full year. It's going to be exciting to watch because he's got electric stuff as well."

The 2025 season will create some unique challenges for Tampa Bay, but many members of the team believe that it can still be a successful season.