The A's Won't Be Spending Money in Las Vegas Either

The Oakland A's have said they plan to spend more money in Las Vegas, but it's a guarantee they won't

"Maybe the A's will sign--" Let me stop you right there. They won't. 

The A's have said that their payroll will go up once they get a new ballpark in Las Vegas. They said the same thing in Oakland, too. Yet, if there is one thing that A's owner John Fisher has been unwilling to do, it's spend money. Heck, to build the ballpark in Las Vegas he's having his family help him out and also using debt and equity financing, which means that he's giving up part of the team to make it happen. 

So he can't afford to build the ballpark, but he's going to spend money on the roster for the first time in over 20 years? Ok. 

There was a member of A's Twitter that made an excellent point this past week, and besides everything we already know about Fisher, it really underscored why Vegas residents shouldn't hold their breath for anything to change if and when the A's arrive. 

In essence, they said that with such a large reliance on tourism for this ballpark to succeed, there is no incentive for Fisher to spend money on the roster. The people coming out to the games will be rooting against the home team anyway. Why put money into the roster and disappoint the visiting fans? 

There was a lot of talk after the SB1 passed, giving the A's the public money they needed for the project, that "Vegas doesn't tolerate losers." That's cute. Fans in Oakland have dragged Fisher's name through the mud and actually made him talk to the media for the first time in 18 years because he'd been getting scorched all summer. He still didn't open up his checkbook. 

With MLB owners adding in a caveat that he can't sell the team without being heavily taxed for at least ten years, we also know he's going to be around for awhile. Probably long enough to kill any enthusiasm that Nevada had for the A's. The first year he could sell the team tax free would be 2034, which is well outside of the honeymoon phase. 

All season long there was a banner in right field at the Coliseum that read "Vegas Beware." A's fans weren't messing around. John Fisher is arguably the worst owner in sports, and it's futile to think that he's going to change. He has no reason to, no matter how much losing is or is not tolerated.