The Oakland Athletics could soon be relocating to Las Vegas, according to team owner John Fisher. The MLB has not had any recent discussions with Oakland city officials, and are now focusing their attention on potentially moving the franchise, according to NBC Bay Area's Jay Cohen.
“Mr. Fisher wants to make the best deal to secure the future of the A's,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on Wednesday at baseball's Cactus League media day, “whether it’s in Oakland or Las Vegas. They need a new stadium. I think that's kind of beyond debate.”
The Oakland Athletics have called the Coliseum home since 1968, but their lease expires after the 2024 season, per Cohen. After the team withdrew plans for ballparks in Fremont and San Jose, the team announced it had found a waterfront location at Howard Terminal in Nov. 2018.
But that proposal was stalled by money and concerns surrounding affordable housing in the area, a problem that continues to plague the franchise.
“I don't think they are in agreement on the affordable housing issue,” Manfred explained. “The threshold issue right now I think in Oakland is how to handle the funding for the infrastructure.”
The uncertainty surrounding Oakland's future is one of the reasons it had the lowest major league payroll last year at just $49 million.
“I think that most people who pay attention to our game realize that we do have a disparity issue in the game, both on the revenue side, and consequently on the ability to spend on players,” Rob Manfred said when asked about the large disparity in payrolls. “I think sometimes in markets that produces frustration.”
It seems more and more likely that John Fisher will move the Athletics to Las Vegas, after they have called Oakland home for over 50 years.
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