Embattled Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher confirmed recently that they have filed a relocation application with Major League Baseball, furthering the possibility that they will end up moving to Las Vegas.
“In the end, we concluded that the city had not raised sufficient money to cover the commitments it made,” Fisher told ESPN. “We also had a deadline imposed by the collective bargaining agreement from a year and a half ago that required the A’s have a binding agreement on a new stadium by January of 2024 or we would lose our revenue sharing, which would be hugely detrimental to the organization.”
The A’s lease with the Oakland Coliseum in Northern California runs through the 2024 season. It will not be renewed given the back-and-forth between the MLB team and city officials.
Back in June, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardi (R) signed a bill into law allowing $350 million in public funding for a new A’s stadium on the heart of the Strip at the current site of the Tropicana. That came after the Nevada Legislature approved said funding in a special session.
The proposed $1.5 billion venue is set to open in time for the 2028 season, potentially leaving the A’s homeless from 2025-27. There’s also been renewed talk that relocation to Vegas could come before 2028 with the Athletics’ Triple-A stadium in the Vegas suburb of Summerlin being their temporary gigs.
Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher talks protests
The backdrop here is Fisher’s lack of popularity among A’s fans and within the context of the broader MLB world. We’ve seen multiple reverse protests take place during home games this season with fans chanting “sell the team.”
It’s actually even carried over to road games and was a central component to MLB All-Star weekend in Seattle Earlier this summer. Fisher opened up about these protests, too.
“I take it personally, as I should. It’s my decision to move the team. The decision was mine. And so I understand and appreciate the way fans feel about that decision,” Fisher told ESPN.
Fisher’s comments likely won’t be enough to pacify A’s fans as he continues to struggle with messaging. Oakland currently boasts the smallest payroll in baseball at $58 million. The team is on pace to go 47-115 this season, which would represent the worst record in MLB since the Detroit Tigers back in 2003. It would also represent the fifth-most losses in a single season in the history of the sport.