In what wasn’t necessarily a drama-filled vote, the 30 MLB owners on Thursday morning unanimously approved the Oakland Athletics’ plan to relocate from Northern California to Las Vegas.
The vote came after very little back-and-forth despite some owners privately being concerned about the viability of Southern Nevada as a top-end MLB market. Despite frustration with embattled A’s owner John Fisher, the lack of patience as it relates to the situation in Oakland played a role in the vote.
“Several owners and executives conveyed privately that their patience simply has been exhausted with Oakland government officials and the A’s inability to reach a deal for a new stadium. They believe that Las Vegas provides the best alternative with its tourism and economy,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale noted ahead of the vote.
It was expected that the vote would take place during the owners meetings this month. In the end, it was the final thing on the slate with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred making it official.
It was back in June that Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) signed into law SB1, a bill that allows for up to $380 million in public funding for a new A’s stadium on the heart of the Las Vegas Strip at the current location of Tropicana Las Vegas. It’s part of a broader $1.5 billion proposed stadium, which would open in time for the 2028 MLB season.
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Oakland Athletics relocation set amid growing frustrations
Thursday’s vote wasn’t without some back-end drama as other MLB owners continued to display frustration over the belief that A’s owner John Fisher has preferential treatment from the league. It’s been something boiling over in the background since the summer.
“I heard from industry sources with close ties to MLB ownerships that some owners of low-revenue teams are upset that the A’s are receiving preferential treatment — no relocation fee, for instance,” July report from John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
There are still some hurdles to overcome for the A’s relocation to Southern Nevada to become 100% official. The $380 million in public funding continues to face severe political backlash in Las Vegas.
The Schools Over Stadiums political action committee (PAC), organized by the Nevada State Education Association, is planning a lawsuit to block public funding for the venue. It cites five different articles within the Nevada State Constitution.
These could very well be last-ditch efforts. MLB and the 30 team owners made it perfectly clear where they stand on the issue. Politicians from both major parties within Nevada worked together to get the funding done, including Gov. Lombardo. A plan is in place to erect a new stadium in Vegas.
The broader question here is what becomes of the Oakland Athletics over the short term. MLB and Fisher are done working with political leaders in Northern California. The A’s lease with Oakland Coliseum runs through the 2024 season. They could end up becoming a team without a city for three seasons before the 2028 opening in Southern Nevada.
Las Vegas Ballpark in the suburb of Summerlin currently houses the A’s Triple-A team. It could become a short-term possibility. Cities such as Portland and Sacramento in the west coast have been bandied about.
As it is, Thursday’s vote set into motion the first MLB relocation since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington and rebranded as the Nationals in 2005. Before that, it was all the way back in 1972 when the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers.