Will A’s play MLB postseason in Sacramento, too? Ticket buyers learn it’s not guaranteed
Should the A’s make the playoffs after moving to West Sacramento next spring, there’s no guarantee the postseason games will be played at Sutter Health Park.
A team source confirmed to The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday that new ticket buyers in Sacramento have been told “jewel events,” such as playoff games or All-Star games, are not guaranteed to occur in the capital region because of Major League Baseball’s stadium requirements for premium events.
Those requirements could include added spaces for national and international media, press conferences and television trucks. MLB on Tuesday declined to offer specifics regarding stadium requirements for postseason games.
Sutter Health Park is a 24-year-old minor league ballpark in West Sacramento that’s housed the Triple-A River Cats since it was built in 2000. The A’s are planning to move to the 14,000-person capacity stadium for at least the next three MLB seasons, with their first regular season game slated for March 31, 2025. Press areas and broadcast booths at Sutter Health Park are already expected to be expanded to accommodate the A’s in time for next season, but it’s unclear if they will meet the requirements for postseason games.
The source repeated a statement that was given to Sports Illustrated this week that said, “‘Home’ postseason games are not guaranteed to be played at Sutter Health Park. In the event a ‘home’ postseason game occurs at an alternate location, A’s season ticket holders will have priority purchase access for tickets.”
A potential alternative venue has not been decided, and postseason games at Sutter Health Park have not been ruled out entirely, the source said.
The A’s — who will play their final game in Oakland on Sept. 26 — have also not committed to having Sacramento in the team’s branding or uniforms during their stay. Team officials during an introductory press event announcing the move in April said they would be called the “A’s” or “Athletics” without an official city in the club’s name before the planned permanent move to Las Vegas in 2028.
The team’s postseason plans could be moot, however, if it fails to qualify on the field. The A’s have spent the least on players in Major League Baseball in two of the past three seasons. The 2024 payroll of $62 million is roughly $22 million less than the 29th-ranked Pittsburgh Pirates. And the A’s are in the midst of their third straight losing season, with a record of 62-82 entering Tuesday after losing 112 and 102 games the previous two years, respectively.
They last made the playoffs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season on the strength of key players like Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman and Sean Murphy — all of whom play on different teams now.
The A’s along with the sales teams from the River Cats and the Sacramento Kings, who own the River Cats and Sutter Health Park, have had success selling premium tickets in the early going. The most sought-after seats closest to home plate sold out in two weeks, The Bee reported last month, as part of a three-phase plan to sell premium season tickets.
The cost of the seats near home plate were not disclosed, but other premium options, which include parking, food, beverages and access to renovated premium areas, are expected to cost $15,000 to $20,000 per seat, per season — or roughly $183 to $244 per seat.
They will share the ballpark with the River Cats, the San Francisco Giants’ top minor-league affiliate, for the next three seasons with an option for the fourth in 2028 while they await construction of a new ballpark in Las Vegas. Team officials have said construction on the $1.5 billion ballpark will begin next spring on the site of the Tropicana hotel, which is expected to be demolished next month. No official design or financing plans have been made public.
The A’s and River Cats will play a combined 157 games at Sutter Health Park next season with no cross-over dates, according to their schedules released this summer. Upgrades are being made to the stadium to accommodate Major League Baseball, including a new home clubhouse and weight room being built beyond the outfield wall, artificial turf being added for wear and tear, improved lighting and premium areas for fans, along with the expanded press seating and broadcast booths.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 2:10 PM.
