Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is confident the Oakland Athletics will play in Las Vegas starting in 2028.
“The reality of the situation is that any time you leave a market that you’ve been in for decades and you’re going to move to a different city where there is no stadium, it’s a really difficult task, and not everything will be perfect and smooth. “Manfred said Thursday. “There will be obstacles along the way.”
The team reached an agreement with Bally’s and Gaming & Leisure Properties to build a stadium at the Tropicana hotel site along the Las Vegas Strip, and the Nevada Legislature approved $380 million in public financing last June for a stadium. $1.5 billion that the team wants to complete. the 2028 season. MLB owners unanimously approved the measure in November.
No rough renderings have been released and there has been speculation that a 9-acre site may not be sufficient.
“I’m confident that the deal in Las Vegas is solid and that the A’s will build a stadium in Las Vegas and play there in 2028,” Manfred said. “We believe the parcel is suitable for a Major League stadium. “I think the delay in renderings is due to discussions between Bally’s and the A’s about how the stadium will be most efficiently designed and what else will happen there to make it the best possible experience for fans.”
The team’s lease at the Oakland Coliseum extends through the 2024 season. It is unclear whether the A’s will play home games in 2025 in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco or at a minor league stadium in Las Vegas. The A’s met with the city of Oakland on Thursday to discuss extending the club’s lease beyond this season.
“I think it’s important to work collaboratively for the good of our public, and that includes workers, fans and taxpayers,” Oakland Vice Mayor and Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan told The Associated Press.
Manfred said the 2025 venue is a complicated decision.
“There are contradictory considerations that point you in one direction or another. So it’s not an easy choice as to where it will be, but I think they’ve been thorough in terms of exploring their alternatives,” Manfred said. “The schedule will be finalized in July. We need to know before then exactly where they will be, because it will affect travel issues, whatever, if they are not in Oakland.”
Source: With information from AP
