Oakland, MLB in talks about expansion team
There was a point in time last year when it seemed like if the Oakland A's left town, then there would be no way for baseball to return to The Town any time soon. Not only has the city landed the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League, but Oakland and Major League Baseball are reportedly in talks about securing an expansion franchise.
This news comes to us from Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, who wrote earlier today, "the Oakland Mayor’s Office and the baseball Commissioner’s Office have had preliminary talks about the possibility of Oakland being guaranteed an expansion team."
It goes without saying that these talks are preliminary, therefore nothing is guaranteed, but at the same time, the fact that guaranteeing an expansion team wasn't rejected immediately tells you a little bit about how desperate MLB is to find the A's a temporary home before their ballpark is ready in Las Vegas.
So why would MLB be willing to grant Oakland an expansion team?
The A's need a temporary home, and while they have scouted out Salt Lake City and Sacramento, only Oakland (or splitting time with the Giants in San Francisco) would pay the A's $70 million per season from their TV deal with Comcast Sports California.
Oakland has a good bit of leverage in these negotiations because not only would A's owner John Fisher receive the money from his TV deal, but playing in a big-league ballpark would be a better look for the team heading into their new home instead of the jokes that would be made if they played in a minor-league park for three seasons. Triple-A's just writes itself, and that's not exactly a team that people will be dying to see, even if they are new in town.
Oakland is also looking for Fisher to sell his half of the Coliseum site so that the area can begin to be redeveloped, which would likely take forever if he's still involved.
These talks are preliminary, but if the A's hope to find an interim home that will be amenable to the Player's Association, then making a deal with Oakland may be their best option. It would also take catering to the city's demands, which are perfectly reasonable given the circumstances. The Bay Area is a huge media market and two teams can thrive here if they have the right ownership group in place.
The Golden State Warriors were in a similar place until they were sold a little over a decade ago for $450 million. Now the franchise is worth an estimated $8.25 billion. What a difference a Joe Lacob makes.
It's also worth noting that when the A's left Kansas City, the Royals were granted to the city as an expansion franchise.
This story will undoubtedly have many twists and turns like the rest of the A's relocation saga, but for right now there is hope that big-league baseball may not be missing from the East Bay for long.