Minor league baseball fans should expect to see plenty of action for years to come at Gesa Stadium in Pasco. 

In October, the Pasco City Council approved a 10-year lease extension with the Tri-City Dust Devils baseball team — owned by Northwest Baseball Ventures I LLC — to use the Pasco facility. 

The new lease is expected to be signed sometime this month as it expires Dec. 31. The Dust Devils’ annual rent in 2024 will be $36,000, eventually reaching $39,000 annually in 2033, the last year of the decade-long agreement. 

With the city of Pasco’s help, the renewed lease means about $5 million in improvements at the stadium at 6200 Burden Blvd. will occur over the next two years to comply with Major League Baseball requirements.  

“We’re ecstatic about the projects and being able to continue our great partnership with the city of Pasco,” said Derrel Ebert, vice president and general manager of the Dust Devils. “It will help us continue to bring great baseball to Pasco, and to the rest of the Tri-Cities. The city of Pasco has been tremendous partners with us.” 

Pasco City Manager Adam Lincoln said the city feels the same way about the Dust Devils. 

“The city of Pasco is delighted to celebrate the continuing and prosperous relationship with the Tri-City Dust Devils, a partnership that has recently culminated in a new agreement for Gesa Stadium,” he said in a statement. “This relationship is a testament to our shared commitment to community engagement and economic development.” 

It’s clear Dust Devils baseball stokes the Tri-Cities economy. 

In an August workshop, the Pasco council tasked city staff members to research areas of financial impact related to the lease. 

Lincoln said the Dust Devils have significantly contributed to the region “with over $12.4 million in total economic impact annually, including direct and indirect spending.” 

In addition, Lincoln pointed out that the team supports 111 full-time equivalent jobs, “demonstrating our joint role in fostering local employment.” 

As far as community investment is concerned, Lincoln also referred to the close to $7 million in direct community spending from various team-related activities. 

That all translates to $796,000 in tax revenues annually for the state, county and city. 

Planned improvements

Between now and spring, the main focus will be to remodel both clubhouses. 

The stadium’s giant Venetian blind-like structure built in 2005 to keep the sun out of players’ eyes on the left side of the field means it is impossible to expand the home clubhouse any further, Ebert said. 

So the team and Pasco — which is investing $1.9 million — are rearranging the clubhouse to get as close to the square footage the MLB requires. 

They’re doing so by expanding the players’ lockers underneath the grandstands, creating a cafeteria, and expanding the team manager’s office as well as coaches’ office space. 

“The current project is set to be done by April 1. The players will arrive here on April 2,” Ebert said. 

The Dust Devils also are remodeling the visiting clubhouse, which will include an umpires’ dressing room, as well as a temporary women’s locker room until a more permanent one can be built in 2025. 

Major League Baseball requires improvements to be made at minor league ballparks like Pasco’s Gesa Stadium at 6200 Burden Blvd. (Courtesy Tri-City Dust Devils)

Minor league changes 

In 2021, MLB made changes in the player development licenses (PDLs) for minor league teams. 

MLB pared down the minors to 120 teams nationwide. 

Ebert said that MLB assigned the Dust Devils to the Los Angeles Angels for a 10-year working agreement. 

“So we have seven years left on the agreement with Major League Baseball,” Ebert said. “This will be another 10-year agreement with the city of Pasco.” 

To maintain those PDLs with MLB, teams must make improvements to their ballparks where needed to provide plenty of space and amenities for minor league players. 

Hillsboro and Eugene — two franchises in the same league as the Tri-Cities — might have problems down the road with their PDLs if they don’t renovate their ballparks. 

According to Kevin Richard of Ballpark Digest, the Hillsboro Hops want to build a new $120 million ballpark, while the Eugene Emeralds’ potential $85 million ballpark project at the local fairgrounds has stalled. 

For Eugene, it’s a matter of getting that new park. The Emeralds have been using the University of Oregon’s park. 

The city of Everett is hoping to build an $80 million park to replace Funko Field, which was built in 1947 and the Northwest League’s Everett AquaSox uses. 

This past April, the Washington state ballpark bonding budget was passed unanimously by both the state House and Senate. It involved $24 million to be spread out among 11 state communities that have minor league teams — including Tacoma, Spokane, Everett and Pasco — and a smaller group of teams that have franchises in the summer West Coast Baseball League, including Walla Walla. 

For Pasco — and Gesa Stadium — that meant $3 million for improvements that are needed for the Dust Devils to be compliant with Major League Baseball’s requirements. 

Changes coming

For the most part, fans won’t notice the changes being made for the 2024 season. 

But they will notice the other changes when the 2025 season begins. In between the 2024-25 seasons — October through March — the team and city will spend their $3 million to do the following: 

--A 24/7 surveillance system. 

--Batting cages to be expanded and covered. 

--The outfield sod replaced (two seasons ago the Los Angeles Angels sent their grounds crew to assist the Dust Devils in replacing Gesa Stadium’s infield sod that the Tri-City team paid for, smoothing out bumps and eliminating any small pebbles). 

--Put in a new, padded outfield wall. 

--Expand the dugout benches. 

--Expand the center field batter’s eye (the green center field wall, which helps hitters with a background to see the pitch better coming in). 

--Heighten the foul poles. 

--Upgrade the ballparks’ lights. 

The team also will spend $330,000 for the construction of a new climate-controlled weight room. 

All of this will make for a better experience on the field and around the facility for players and fans and add to the quality of living in the Tri-Cities for years to come, officials say. 

“As we look forward to the upcoming seasons and beyond, the city of Pasco remains dedicated to this fruitful partnership,” Lincoln said.