Could Spring Training Series Pave Way for Oakland A's' Move to Las Vegas?
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The Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds will play a two-game spring training series in Las Vegas Mar. 4-5, 2023, at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators.
The Aviators have been the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate since 2019, the same year that Las Vegas Ballpark opened.
The A's have been rumored to leave Oakland for a number of years, after struggling to build a new ballpark in the Bay Area, in hopes of generating more revenue.
The other two major sports teams that occupied the Oakland area have left the city, as the Golden State Warriors built a new arena in San Francisco that opened in 2019, and the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020.
Only the A's remain in Oakland, still occupying RingCentral Coliseum, a park they have called home since 1968. The A's have struggled to fill their ballpark for years. In 2022, the A's averaged the lowest attendance mark in baseball. In 2021, they placed 29th in attendance. In 2019, a year in which they made the playoffs, they finished a measly 24th in attendance.
The A's' perennial low attendance numbers have put them at a financial disadvantage against teams in their league year in and year out. If the A's are able to generate more revenue, perhaps executive Billy Beane could enjoy a higher payroll to fill out his roster in the future.
Even if the A's' are able to build a new park in the Bay Area, they'll still be competing with the San Francisco Giants.
A move to a new market could open up new doors for the Athletics as a business.
The A's could follow the Raiders to Vegas. Though a move appears to not be imminent, a two-day spring training showcase could be a useful trial run.
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