Oakland A's, Nevada governor announce tentative agreement for move to Las Vegas
Before we know it, the A’s are going to be out of Oakland. For years, the franchise has flirted with leaving the Bay Area but now, wheels are in motion as Las Vegas is viewed as the destination. Another step forward was made on Wednesday in favor of relocation.
Both the Oakland A’s and Nevada governor Joe Lombardo have announced a tentative agreement has been reached for a bill that would allowed a baseball stadium to be built on the Las Vegas strip. Both the Raiders and Golden Knights are in a similar area and the A’s would mark the city’s third professional sports franchise.
“This agreement follows months of negotiations between the state, the county, and the A’s, and I believe it gives us a tremendous opportunity to continue building on the professional sports infrastructure of southern Nevada,” Lombardo said via a news release. “Las Vegas is clearly a sports town, and Major League Baseball should be a part of it.”
Baseball is not foreign to Las Vegas residents. They are currently home to the A’s AAA team, with the Aviators currently playing at Las Vegas Ballpark. But with the city looking to upgrade to a Major League team, the A’s were the perfect fit compared to expansion.
“We’re very appreciative of the support from the State of Nevada and Clark County’s leadership,” said A’s President Dave Kaval. “We want to thank Governor Lombardo, the Legislative leadership, the Treasurer, and Clark County Commissioners and staff on the collaborative process. We look forward to advancing this legislation in a responsible way.”
No specific financial details were included in the news release. However, we do know Las Vegas wants a stadium that holds around 30,000 people and has a retractable roof.
A’s leaving behind history in Oakland for Las Vegas
If the move to Las Vegas becomes official, the Athletics will be on their fourth city in franchise history. Originally playing in Philadelphia, they eventually moved to Kansas City before settling in Oakland before the 1968 season. Three consecutive World Series were won in the early 1970s and another added in 1989.
Since then, there have not been too much playoff success. Since 2000, the A’s have 11 playoff appearance and none of the have resulted in AL pennants. The 2006 ALCS was the team’s best run, getting swept by the Detroit Tigers.
Las Vegas will be hoping for better history once the team is settled in. Building a stadium will take some time, especially on the Strip. But once arriving, the city will want to see a winning baseball team.