Inside The As

A's Move to Sacramento in Jeopardy?

Jason Burke

View from left side of the infield at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento
View from left side of the infield at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento / Last Dive Bar
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The Oakland Athletics are planning to move to Sacramento, temporarily, beginning in 2025, then they're off to their proposed ballpark in Las Vegas in 2028 or 2029. That's the plan at least. We're still waiting to see what the financing looks like for the Vegas ballpark, which will make or break the entire project. According to a report from KFBK News Radio, the A's move to Sacramento next season may even be in jeopardy.

The Sacramento radio station spoke with reporter Mark Demsky this morning, who has spoken with a number of involved parties, including the MLBPA, the A's, and super-agent Scott Boras, a native of the Sacramento area.

"MLB's Player's Association has not agreed to the upgrades, including the new artificial turf that's going in at Sutter Health Park next month." Scott Boras goes on to say in an interview that the issue that they're having is that the ballpark is outdoors, which has been a sticking point for many fans and media members alike since the announcement of the turf installation was made. Adding turf to temperatures that are already 100+ degrees makes for a borderline unsafe working environment for the players.

"We're talking about players with millions and millions of dollars in asset value," Boras said. "to the teams and to themselves." He also believes that the timing isn't right for Sacramento, or at least the situation. He believes that Sacramento would be looked at as second class with a minor-league ballpark that no players want to play in, which would hurt the city's chances of potentially landing its own team down the line. "Why would you want to put a pox on the city by carrying out a sub-standard facility, and putting a cloud over Sacramento?"

The program then goes on to discuss where the A's could end up playing in 2025 if Sacramento doesn't get approved by the MLBPA. Boras believes the A's could end up back in Oakland at the Coliseum due to the site's new owners, AASEG. Maybe the A's get a better deal with AASEG than the one Oakland was offering, plus the A's would be able to keep their current TV contract with NBC Sports California.

The one problem with that line of thinking is that employees have already been told they're being laid off at the end of the season, and they are already making plans for their own futures. It wouldn't be as simple as getting the band back together with a phone call.

With that in mind, and this is speculation, but to appease the MLBPA what could happen is that the Sacramento River Cats get kicked out of their own ballpark to make room for the A's, which would eliminate the need for turf. The 'Cats could play at a number of parks, including the Coliseum if a deal could be struck.

Some will say that Vivek Ranadivé would never let anything happen to the River Cats, a team he owns, but it was his decision to bring the A's to Sacramento in the first place, and his ultimate goal is to bring Major League Baseball to Sacramento. If it comes down to losing his opportunity with the A's and moving his minor-league team for a couple of years, it seems like an easy decision.

We should learn more about where the A's will be playing and whether they will be sharing the facility with the River Cats once the team's season is over at the end of this month. Until then, A's fans in the East Bay will be grieving what is expected to be the final game in Oakland.

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Jason Burke
JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum. 

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