Lets talk Athletics

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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has signed into law the bill to partly fund the construction of a new ballpark in Las Vegas to function as the home ballpark of the Athletics. The only thing standing in the way of a relocation of the Athletics from Oakland to Las Vegas is the approval of a majority of owners, which is expected to be basically a done deal.

 
The Oakland Athletics have formally submitted their application to the MLB for relocation to Las Vegas, according to nepo baby, um, owner, John Fisher in an interview with ESPN.

 
ESPN article claiming to be the inside story on the A's move to Las Vegas.

 

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ESPN article claiming to be the inside story on the A's move to Las Vegas.

Thanks! That's a really interesting article. It just reinforces my belief that Fisher has simply chosen the much much cheaper option (maybe because he can no longer afford the better, more expensive option - Howard Terminal).
Interesting that Rob Manfred won't provide a comment for a story on one of the biggest baseball stories recently, the first MLB relocation since the Expos moved 20 years ago.
 
ESPN article claiming to be the inside story on the A's move to Las Vegas.

I listened to the ESPN daily podcast about it. Really insightful.

Biggest gap is where will the team play before there move to Vegas? Can see Oakland saying no to sticking springs for a few years.
 
I listened to the ESPN daily podcast about it. Really insightful.

Biggest gap is where will the team play before there move to Vegas? Can see Oakland saying no to sticking springs for a few years.

The A's would probably try to play their home games in their Triple-A affiliate's stadium, which is in Las Vegas, but the MLBPA may object to this because the stadium is not a covered stadium and the temperatures in a Nevada summer routinely exceed 40 degrees during the day.

So the A's may seek to share a stadium with another team, possibly the Giants.
 
Every team participating in the playoffs has at least one former Athletic player on their rosters (not all of them active for the playoffs though).

Arizona Diamondbacks - Jace Peterson
Atlanta Braves - Jesse Chavez, Sean Murphy, Matt Olson
Baltimore Orioles - Danny Coulombe, Shintaro Fujinami, Cole Irvin
Houston Astros - Kendall Graveman
Los Angeles Dodgers - Max Muncy, Blake Treinen
Miami Marlins - Jesus Luzardo, AJ Puk, Joey Wendle
Milwaukee Brewers - Mark Canha, Andrew Chafin, Josh Donaldson, Joel Payamps
Minnesota Twins - Sonny Gray, Emilio Pagan
Tampa Bay Rays - Jake Diekman, Christian Bethancourt
Texas Rangers - Jonah Heim, Marcus Semien, Robbie Grossman
 
Every team participating in the playoffs has at least one former Athletic player on their rosters (not all of them active for the playoffs though).

Arizona Diamondbacks - Jace Peterson
Atlanta Braves - Jesse Chavez, Sean Murphy, Matt Olson
Baltimore Orioles - Danny Coulombe, Shintaro Fujinami, Cole Irvin
Houston Astros - Kendall Graveman
Los Angeles Dodgers - Max Muncy, Blake Treinen
Miami Marlins - Jesus Luzardo, AJ Puk, Joey Wendle
Milwaukee Brewers - Mark Canha, Andrew Chafin, Josh Donaldson, Joel Payamps
Minnesota Twins - Sonny Gray, Emilio Pagan
Tampa Bay Rays - Jake Diekman, Christian Bethancourt
Texas Rangers - Jonah Heim, Marcus Semien, Robbie Grossman
We can't lose 🤣

Shame that we let that talent walk out the door, a playoff worthy roster
 
Multiple journalists reporting that the owners are expected to unanimously approve the proposal to move the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas, despite misgivings over the prospect of Las Vegas being a thriving baseball market with a major league team. Owners, speaking anonymously, indicated that they were prepared to vote for the deal because their patience with the Oakland city government officials has been exhausted.

Commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to make the relocation official at a press conference on Friday (Australian time) with owners voting on the move earlier in the morning at the final day of their meetings. The eight-member executive council has already recommended that the owners approve the relocation.

With the Las Vegas stadium expected to not be ready until opening day of the 2028 season, and the lease on the Coliseum expiring at the end of the 2024 season, there is some doubt over where the A's will play their home games from 2025-2027, with some proposals suggesting that the A's may play their home games at Oracle Park (the home of the Giants), Allegiance Stadium (where the Raiders play) or their Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark (although the latter is unlikely given that it is uncovered and the MLBPA would likely object to major league players having to play games in 100+ degree temperatures in the middle of the Nevada summer).

Only 75% approval (23 out of 30 votes) is required to rubber stamp the move, but it is expected that the vote will be unanimously in favour of the move.

 

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Multiple journalists reporting that the owners are expected to unanimously approve the proposal to move the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas, despite misgivings over the prospect of Las Vegas being a thriving baseball market with a major league team. Owners, speaking anonymously, indicated that they were prepared to vote for the deal because their patience with the Oakland city government officials has been exhausted.

Commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to make the relocation official at a press conference on Friday (Australian time) with owners voting on the move earlier in the morning at the final day of their meetings. The eight-member executive council has already recommended that the owners approve the relocation.

With the Las Vegas stadium expected to not be ready until opening day of the 2028 season, and the lease on the Coliseum expiring at the end of the 2024 season, there is some doubt over where the A's will play their home games from 2025-2027, with some proposals suggesting that the A's may play their home games at Oracle Park (the home of the Giants), Allegiance Stadium (where the Raiders play) or their Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark (although the latter is unlikely given that it is uncovered and the MLBPA would likely object to major league players having to play games in 100+ degree temperatures in the middle of the Nevada summer).

Only 75% approval (23 out of 30 votes) is required to rubber stamp the move, but it is expected that the vote will be unanimously in favour of the move.

Playing at Allegiance stadium would be ironic. Not really sure they Raiders would be keen to share seeing they moved to get away from a baseball stadium. Plus I don't think the surface/stands would allow it
 
"Several owners and executives conveyed privately that their patience simply has been exhausted with Oakland government officials... "

"A’s owner John Fisher... told them his patience had run out after 18 years of trying to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland“

Billionaire owners painting the Oakland govt as the villains. FFS
 
It should be noted that the approval from the owners, while a major step forward, is not necessarily the final word in the move of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas.

A group of Nevada teachers called "Schools over Stadiums" is opposing the public funding worth $380 million earmarked for the stadium project and is hoping to require a referendum on the stadium build in November 2024.

However, the MLB owners did ignore their own rules in relation to a franchise move, given that the location of where the A's will play their home games between 2025-2027 (the stadium is expected to be ready for play on opening day 2028) is still yet to be determined. According to USA Today, the A's plan to play their home games between 2025-2027 in a "revolving series of sites" that includes the the Las Vegas Aviators' home ground located in Summerlin, Nevada, Oracle Park (home of the Giants) and perhaps the Oakland Coliseum.
 
Wouldn’t be surprised if Athletics get moved around again. Las Vegas is just a money grabbing move. Is it viable long term?

54 seasons in Philadelphia.
13 seasons in Kansas City
56 in Oakland.
 
There was some speculation that the Nepo Baby would try to sell the team as soon as possible after the move to Las Vegas was approved. According to Bob Nightengale at USA Today, the move to Vegas was approved by the owners with one caveat - a "10-year flip tax" which will harshly penalise Fisher should he sell the team at any time before 2034. As part of the move to Vegas, the MLB waived the usual relocation fee (worth $300 million) but he will be taxed should he sell the team prior to 2034. If he sells the Athletics prior to 2028, he would be taxed 20% of the purchase price, which would be split between the other 29 owners. If he sells the Athletics in 2029, the tax is reduced to 10%. If he sells the Athletics between 2030-2033, the tax would reduce each year.

 
There was some speculation that the Nepo Baby would try to sell the team as soon as possible after the move to Las Vegas was approved. According to Bob Nightengale at USA Today, the move to Vegas was approved by the owners with one caveat - a "10-year flip tax" which will harshly penalise Fisher should he sell the team at any time before 2034. As part of the move to Vegas, the MLB waived the usual relocation fee (worth $300 million) but he will be taxed should he sell the team prior to 2034. If he sells the Athletics prior to 2028, he would be taxed 20% of the purchase price, which would be split between the other 29 owners. If he sells the Athletics in 2029, the tax is reduced to 10%. If he sells the Athletics between 2030-2033, the tax would reduce each year.

At what value? Surely now it’s in Las Vegas, will be in excess or 4-5 billion.

If only Oakland had that money available
 
At what value? Surely now it’s in Las Vegas, will be in excess or 4-5 billion.

If only Oakland had that money available

I'm not sure so about that, actually. From what I understand, the Vegas market is smaller than the Bay Area TV market. The Athletics are likely to still be a revenue sharer even after the move to Vegas. From a financial/economic sense, the move makes little sense. The inflation in value of the Athletics as a franchise probably has more to do with the rising tide lifting all boats rather than anything specific to Vegas and/or the franchise.
 
I'm not sure so about that, actually. From what I understand, the Vegas market is smaller than the Bay Area TV market. The Athletics are likely to still be a revenue sharer even after the move to Vegas. From a financial/economic sense, the move makes little sense. The inflation in value of the Athletics as a franchise probably has more to do with the rising tide lifting all boats rather than anything specific to Vegas and/or the franchise.

I'm just about done with the A's after 35 years of following them.
What really rubs salt into this is that Melvin has just been made Manager of the Giants
 

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