By Jordan Long
The Oakland Athletics stand at 22-15, 1st in the American League West Division, 2.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros. The Athletics, though, might be moving at some point. They want a new stadium built for them. The ballpark would be $1 billion. The City of Oakland has not said if they are going to accept or reject the proposal, but the Athletics are prepared to look elsewhere for a home which could include relocation plans.
This is not the first time Oakland has allowed teams to look for new homes. The Golden State Warriors played in Oracle Arena from 1971 to 2019. They moved to their new home in San Francisco in 2020. Golden State found a plot of land to build a new arena in San Francisco which couldn’t happen in Oakland. With the move, it helped Golden State expand their brand in the Bay Area.
The Raiders moved to Las Vegas after the 2019 season. The reason was simple, they needed a new stadium or upgrades to the Oakland Coliseum. The city of Oakland denied both and the NFL allowed the Raiders to move to Las Vegas.
Now the same problem is arising with the Athletics. There is no word on if the city of Oakland will approve plans for a new ballpark for the Athletics. Oakland’s lease runs out in 2024. According to Msn.com, President of the Oakland Athletics’ Dave Kaval said in a statement, “A new ballpark is needed for the A’s continued success. We agree with MLB’s position that is not a viable option for the future of the franchise. While we remain committed to succeeding in Oakland and will continue to work toward our waterfront ballpark, we will also follow MLB’s direction and immediately begin the process of exploring a new home for the A’s.”
The Athletics could relocate if the plans for a new arena aren’t passed. Possible homes include Las Vegas, Montreal, and San Jose among other places.
Las Vegas may work. They have proved to be a place for professional sports to thrive with the Raiders and the Golden Knights. It could be the Raiders and the Athletics share the stadium. It worked in Oakland. For Vegas, they already have professional baseball there, the Las Vegas Aviators, who are the Triple A affiliate of the Athletics. This might be a solution.
Montreal is a long shot. Montreal would like to have Major League Baseball back. They haven’t had a team since the Expos moved to Washington in 2004. They are trying their hardest to have a team back. It would be a long distance move. This wouldn’t be best for the Athletics.
The one that makes the most sense is San Jose. Sure, they wouldn’t be in Oakland, but it is still the Bay Area. San Jose might be able to construct a new place for the Athletics to play. The only downside to this is the San Francisco Giants. They have the territorial rights for MLB there. MLB needs the Giants to wave that. They may just so the Athletics have a new home and wouldn’t have to move so far away.
Hopefully, this whole situation will be worked out. It would be great if the Athletics stay in Oakland. The past says no. Maybe this time, the City of Oakland will learn from previous mistakes and approve a new home for them to keep a professional team in Oakland. Time will only tell.
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