Rays outfielder shares heartfelt post on devastating state of Tropicana Field

Every Rays fan is suffering through the fate of their beloved home stadium, Tropicana Field. However, we can't imagine how the players must be feeling right now, especially Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe, who have stepped foot on that turf nearly 300 times in their careers.

Each Rays player is feeling some pain or confusion at the moment though, even the athletes that have been around for a very short time. Rays outfielder, Richie Palacios was acquired via a trade with the Cardinals prior to the 2024 season.

We witnessed his love for the sport and for his teammates on a day-to-day basis, but this X post exemplified exactly what he's going through in this unique situation.

The 27-year old appeared in 92 games last season and hit a mediocre .223 with 5 HRs and 21 RBIs. Unfortunately, his year was cut short after he suffered a right knee sprain on August 1st. This ailment would linger for a while, as he was forced to miss the rest of the 2024 campaign.

The Towson University grad previously played for the midwest organizations, Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals. The young outfielder was never able to surpass half of a season in playing time with either club between 2022 and 2023. However he showed some promise, exhibiting around a .300 OBP in both seasons.

When the Rays signed Palacios, he wasn't guaranteed a roster spot and had to work hard to prove himself during spring training. The former 3rd round pick played in 21 spring games, recording an impressive .315 AVG and three homers in only 54 at-bats.

Rays fans began to get excited about how this energetic athlete carried himself each game. Kevin Cash and the front office recognized his talents as well, giving him the ability to appear in almost double the number of games he played in 2023.

Above all, Richie Palacios is certainly one of the newer fan favorites because of his obvious devotion tp the game and his team. This passion can also be seen in his latest post, demonstrating the pure sorrow that he feels towards the uncertainty surrounding Rays baseball.

In spite of all of the chaos and turmoil, we can hold fast in the truth that players like Palacios will still pour their hearts out for this organization and their fans.