• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 2, 2025

A’s Double Down on Vegas: Stadium Updates, New Hires, Extensions

Skepticism has long surrounded the A’s and their planned relocation to Las Vegas, but a set of moves seeks to address that, both on and off the field. 

Athletics

The surprising A’s have made a series of significant moves this week to establish themselves further in their forthcoming Las Vegas home, including hiring a former skeptic as team president, releasing a new set of stadium renderings, and locking up another key player. 

The efforts arrived as the team Friday began taking ticket deposits for a planned $1.75 billion ballpark along the famed Las Vegas Strip that is due to open in 2028. 

Leadership Shuffle

The A’s named former Raiders president Marc Badain to the same position with the MLB club, succeeding Dave Kaval, who left at the end of last year, and interim president Sandy Dean, who now moves to a vice chairman role. Badain previously spent 30 years with the Raiders, helping lead the NFL team’s similar relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, before being pushed out in 2021 amid a series of alleged financial irregularities. Since then, Badain has been involved with Oak View Group in efforts to bring an NBA-ready arena to Nevada.

Perhaps most notable regarding the A’s, Badain previously conveyed sizable doubt about MLB’s likelihood of success in Las Vegas.

“I think it’s a little more challenging,” Badain said in 2023 at a conference regarding MLB’s prospects for success in the market. “The economics of baseball are very different than the other three sports. Regional sports television comes into play here. This is not a huge market for that. And you’re going to have to sell 2.5 million tickets. That’s not easy.”

Now, Badain is offering a somewhat different sentiment.

“The challenges that MLB has versus what [the] NFL has are pretty well documented,” Badain told The Athletic. “You start [addressing that] with the stadium, and then you start with an incredible design, and you start with a great product and a great experience. I have no doubt we’ll be able to achieve that here.”

New-Look Venue

The A’s, meanwhile, released a new set of renderings regarding the Las Vegas ballpark, addressing a series of critical missing pieces in prior drawings, including bullpens, a batter’s eye, and luxury seating. The enclosed stadium design is continuing with the unusual “spherical armadillo” concept first unveiled last year.

“It freed us up from some of the constraints that you might typically have within a ballpark, both in seating and environments,” HNTB’s Emily Louchart, one of the stadium designers, said in a presentation Thursday to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority. 

Another Big Signing

The A’s have also signed outfielder Lawrence Butler to a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension, according to multiple reports, with the 24-year-old seen as a long-term cornerstone for the team. 

The deal, the third-largest guarantee in franchise history, is the latest in a series of offseason pacts for the A’s, showing a heightened aggressiveness from the club. Other recent deals include a three-year, $67 million contract for pitcher Luis Severino and a five-year, $60 million extension for designated hitter Brent Rooker

Some of that activity likely owes to pressure from the MLB Players Association regarding the use of revenue-sharing funds. The A’s now have a projected luxury-tax payroll of $106.7 million for the 2025 season, well above the comparable $80.4 million figure from last year.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) passes the ball against Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith (1) during the second half of a basketball game at Wintrust Arena.

WNBA Takes Its Preseason College Series to a New Level

Multiple preseason WNBA games will be broadcast nationally.
Oct 28, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks with guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Frost Bank Center.

Gregg Popovich Steps Down as Coach of Spurs, Will Still Be President

Popovich was the longest-tenured coach in North American sports.

TGL Team Owner Marc Lasry: TV Ratings Peak Was 4X Better Than..

Lasry said TGL would have been happy with 250,000 viewers per match.
Fubo-TV

Fubo Loses Subscribers; Focused on Disney Deal Despite Antitrust Probe

The streaming company plans to debut its planned sports bundle this fall.

Featured Today

Apr 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
April 30, 2025

The Pirates Are Struggling, But Paul Skenes Fever Is Still Spreading

The 22-year-old pitcher is (finally) giving Pittsburgh something to cheer for.
April 29, 2025

How DJ Adam Amin Mixes Baseball With Bangers

Amin is one of Fox’s top NFL and MLB voices.
Jun 21, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck holds the Larry O’Brien trophy prior to the Boston Celtics championship parade.
April 27, 2025

The Celtics Succession Plan Remains Murky

The transfer of power to a private-equity group is still unresolved.
Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers Failed to Cash In on Luka Dončić Heist

After winning the trade of the century, the Lakers were bounced early.
Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) looks on in the first quarter during game four against the Indiana Pacers of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Lillard left the game early in the in the first quarter with an injury.
April 28, 2025

Bucks Face Grim Future After Damian Lillard Tears Achilles

The Bucks star guard is likely out for all of next season while making $54 million.
April 30, 2025

Mile High, Rock Bottom: Rockies Stumble Toward MLB Infamy

The club is off to the worst start in modern National League history.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Portfolio Players is our bi-weekly spotlight on the athletes and investors reshaping the business of sports. This week, venture capitalist Kai Cunningham unpacks why athletes land top deals and how the usual investing rules don’t always apply.
April 28, 2025

Josh Harris Delivers the D.C. Stadium Dan Snyder Couldn’t

A 65,000-seat District stadium is targeted to open in 2030.
April 27, 2025

Wrexham Promotion Has ‘Mind-Blowing’ Financial Implications

Both revenues and expenses will rise considerably for the newly promoted club.
April 27, 2025

After Adding Shedeur Sanders, Browns Have 5 QBs, Steep Bill

Cleveland currently has four healthy signal-callers, and DeShaun Watson rehabbing.
April 26, 2025

Young GM’s Bold Draft Reshapes the Jaguars and Shakes Up the NFL

James Gladstone pulled the trigger on the Draft’s biggest move.