No Joke: Oakland A’s Are Homeless After 2024 Season
The Oakland A’s are moving to Las Vegas. They throw the first pitch in 2028, as of now. But where do they play after this season?
The Oakland A’s Are Homeless As Of Now
So where do the Oakland A’s play until they move to Las Vegas? They are looking for a place to play baseball when their lease expires this year.
They met with officials this week, but it didn’t go well, and not a lot of progress was made. In a statement to KTNV, Channel 13, Las Vegas, an A’s spokesperson said: “We appreciated Oakland’s engagement and also we are far apart on the terms needed to agree on an extension.”
In all the talk about the A’s over the past couple years, I think those of us in Las Vegas were under the impression they had other options set. And that the next few years were planned out. But – corporate bigwigs. They’re the same as everyone else I guess: “I thought you set it up.” “What? I thought YOU set it up!”
Oakland A’s Want That TV Money
The A’s have been talking with a developer in Salt Lake City, who is building a new ballpark. They also considered playing at a ballpark in Sacramento. If they do that, they can hang onto a bigger portion of their TV revenue.
TV revenue is a big deal, and the A’s DO NOT want to lose that. Oakland was expecting a lease extension which would be five years, with an opt out after three years. But as of this writing, that is still up in the air.
This I did not know: According to KRON TV, part of Oakland’s extension deal would be that the A’s give up half their Coliseum ownership. Then the property can be converted to a stadium for soccer use. In order to make the deal happen, Oakland told the A’s to choose from one of the these options:
- The A’s dump the team name, colors, and branding when they move to Vegas
- Oakland must get confirmation from MLB that the city gets an expansion team
- The A’s must sell the team to a local owner
Seriously, the whole move, and the mechanics – none of it really makes sense. And I live in Las Vegas!
This writer’s opinion? I think city of Oakland wanted to hang onto their team. But one of the the people at the top of the A’s food chain wanted to move to Vegas. But his wife doesn’t, and now the negotiating begins to make everyone happy. Whaa, whaa, whaa!
What’s next for the A’s? At this point in time, who knows? Complicated, yes. But they obviously want the deal that lets them keep the most money when it come to that TV revenue.