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The Oakland Athletics announced Tuesday, May 11 the team has received approval to relocate following the league’s blessing.
The move comes to no surprise as the City of Oakland has refused to approve a new stadium for the Athletics as they did the Raiders of the NFL and Warriors of the NBA. However, there are reports that Oakland’s local government is pushing hard to keep the A’s near the Bay.
Since 1968, the A’s have ruled Oakland, but the 53-year run might be coming to an end in the near future.
"The future success of the A's depends on a new ballpark," A's owner John Fisher said in a statement. "Oakland is a great baseball town, and we will continue to pursue our waterfront ballpark project. We will also follow MLB's direction to explore other markets."
One potential market that has gained a lot of traction over the last couple of years is Las Vegas, Nevada.
Vegas has shown many signs of success as well as a mass following to its professional sports teams that have arrived via expansion or relocation over the last five years.
Adding to why Las Vegas could be a premier fit, the Oakland Athletics Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators reside in the city as well.
The City of Henderson’s Mayor Debra March tried luring the Arizona Diamondbacks to Henderson a few years back with a new stadium proposal. She is expected to be in contact with the A’s as well.
Fisher was adamant about the success of the ball-club being reliant on a new ball park.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis shared similar feelings when the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2018.
Time will tell, but another professional sports team could be residing in Las Vegas as the ‘entertainment capital of the world’ continues to shock the world of sports.