DALLAS — Rays manager Kevin Cash returned to the Tampa Bay area the morning after Hurricane Milton struck the Florida coast in October and saw the extensive damage to the roof of his home ballpark, Tropicana Field.

"I do think it's going to be a challenge. But I think it's going to be a fun, exciting, good challenge," manager Kevin Cash said of the Rays playing their home games at Steinbrenner Field in the wake of hurricane damage to the Tropicana Field roof.

Manager Kevin Cash is ready for the challenge. With his team forced from the comfort of climate-controlled Tropicana Field due to Hurricane Milton damage, and playing home games outdoors at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field this coming season,

The Tampa Bay Rays president said the team’s front office believes the votes are now there with the Pinellas County Commission to approve financing for a new baseball stadium at its upcoming meeting Dec.

"We anticipate that the Pinellas County Commission will authorize the bonds at their next meeting," Rays Co-President Matt Silverman said through a spokesperson. "As we stated in our letter three weeks ago, we remain ready to work with all key stakeholders to fill the funding gap their delay has created."

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred met with Pinellas County officials Monday to discuss the stalled decision on public financing for a new Rays stadium. County Administrator Barry Burton said he and County Commission chairperson Kathleen Peters met with Manfred to “talk through the situation.