Rendering of the proposed Las Vegas ballpark for the Athletics. Image courtesy of MLB and A's
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is hesitant about the city gaining the Oakland Athletics.
On a recent podcast episode with Front Office Sports, Goodman revealed that she is not exactly thrilled about the prospect of the city gaining the A’s. While she said in a statement released after that she is excited about the idea of Vegas gaining a Major League Baseball team, she feels it should not come at the expense of the A’s and their fans.
At The Expense of Oakland
“[The A’s] really want to stay in Oakland. They want to be on the water,” Goodman said. “They have that magnificent dream and yet they can’t get it done. I just think there’s an appetite [in Oakland]. I run into people from Oakland all the time. They want to keep the team and it’s just the government up there. It costs money…I love the people from Oakland. I think they deserve to have their team.”
In early 2023, it was announced that Oakland A’s owner John Fisher would be relocating the team to Las Vegas. The owners vote passed in the fall and a ballpark site was selected. The Tropicana Hotel on the Vegas Strip is scheduled for demolition to make way for the nine-acre complex.
No Jurisdiction
However, the area where the ballpark is scheduled to be built is actually within the city limits of Paradise, Nevada, which Goodman has no jurisdiction over. She also revealed on the podcast that her team proposed a larger site north of the Strip. However, it is assumed that the franchise rejected those plans.
The Oakland A’s currently play at the dilapidated Oakland Coliseum. The plan is to relocate to another site for the next three seasons following 2024, while the Las Vegas ballpark is being built. Then, the A’s would move into the new stadium for the 2028 season. But their home between 2025 and 2027 is still undecided.
Change of Course
Goodman made clear that the Las Vegas area would embrace the A’s, should they successfully move to the region (which is all but certain). “Should that fail, Las Vegas has shown that it is a spectacular market for major league sports franchises,” she said.
Either way, it appears that MLB expansion is on the horizon, with two new franchises said to be announced. Nashville and Salt Lake City lead the pool, with other cities like Portland, Charlotte, and New Orleans also in the mix. However, if the A’s move to Las Vegas, they would not be part of the expansion, as that would qualify as relocation.
