Could Sacramento snag the A’s? New report emerges as extension talks take place in Oakland
The Oakland Athletics are reportedly considering Sacramento as a temporary home while they negotiate with their current one.
The A’s, whose officials came to Sacramento for a tour of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento last month, have reportedly re-opened negotiating channels with Oakland city and Alameda County officials about extending the team’s current lease at the Coliseum, which is set to expire after 2024.
However, The Athletic reported Friday afternoon that Sacramento was emerging as the “front runner” to serve as the A’s temporary home, citing a person briefed on the team’s search process. This came a day after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s office had been in touch with Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office about guaranteeing Oakland an expansion franchise down the road should the A’s extend their lease.
Sacramento is under consideration as a temporary home for the A’s for the 2025 through 2027 seasons under the guise their newly built stadium on the Las Vegas strip would open in 2028.
A decision is expected in the coming weeks, according to The Athletic’s report.
The A’s relationship with East Bay officials was considered strained to the point of no return, which led owner John Fisher to look at options in Sacramento and Salt Lake City, as well as at the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators’ stadium, roughly a half-hour east of the Strip.
According to the Chronicle, A’s officials met with East Bay leaders Thursday for about an hour about extending the team’s lease, but no final decision was made.
“We had a very open and frank conversation about all different scenarios and alternatives and options, and nothing was taken off the table,” David Haubert, an Alameda County supervisor, told the Chronicle. He added: “We agreed to continue to meet and make progress, so there will be additional meetings.”
Sacramento has long pined for another professional sports team to join the region. The Kings are the only team from the NBA, NFL, MLB or NHL to call California’s capital home, while the Sacramento Republic FC soccer team has plans to build a new downtown stadium and hopes to ascend from the second-tier USL to the MLS.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg has noted Sacramento is the country’s 20th-ranked media market, while several smaller markets have multiple teams from the most popular sports leagues.
“You better believe Sacramento would be a great place for the A’s to play on a temporary basis, for all the reasons we know,” Steinberg told The Sacramento Bee last month. “This is one of the greatest fan bases in the country. ... And we love all sports, including baseball. And I know if this were to occur, that it would be a major success.”
While a significant portion of A’s fans in the Bay Area have decided to boycott the team in its attempt to relocate to Las Vegas, staying in Oakland makes financial sense. Playing in their current market allows the A’s to capitalize on their remaining television rights deal which the Chronicle reported paid them $67 million last season. That deal is in place through 2034.
However, according to The Athletic’s report, the A’s would still be able to tap into a “considerable portion” of the money they are owed. “Exactly how much might be a matter of negotiation,” the report said, noting NBC Sports California carries the Sacramento Kings locally.
This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 3:03 PM.
