The Oakland A’s are close to a decision on a temporary home while a new ballpark is built in Las Vegas, with three leading candidates.
A’s president Dave Kaval said the team will likely either stay at Oakland Coliseum, or else choose between the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park and Las Vegas Ballpark, home to Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate. “I think those are the three most likely scenarios and how that plays out,” Kaval said.
Since the A’s current Coliseum lease expires after the 2024 season and the new Las Vegas ballpark isn’t projected to open until 2028, the temporary location issue has been among the most problematic in the team’s relocation saga.
Three Different Problems
The three facilities on the list all present further potential issues.
The A’s hold MLB’s worst attendance at the Coliseum, and that situation — as well as fan disgust with team owner John Fisher and the facility’s deterioration — isn’t likely to improve with three more seasons of play there.
Oakland is also reportedly pushing MLB for additional concessions in return for the team staying at the publicly owned Coliseum, including leaving the A’s name behind upon moving to Las Vegas, and perhaps regaining a franchise in eventual league expansion.
Playing at Oracle Park would cut heavily into revenue opportunities for Giants Enterprises, which books ancillary events at the ballpark and is an arm of Oakland’s Bay Area rival. Two MLB clubs also haven’t shared a home stadium since the 1974-75 New York Mets and Yankees both played at Shea Stadium during renovations to the former Yankee Stadium.
Las Vegas Ballpark features major league amenities but is subject to extreme temperatures in the summer — and would need a seating expansion from the current capacity of 10,000.
The final decision will ultimately be driven by MLB, with the MLB Players Association also involved.
