Rob Manfred's Latest Comments on A's Ballpark Search
We've heard MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred talk about the A's ballpark situation a number of times, and when he offers his opinions, it usually doesn't sound very good for the A's chances of remaining in Oakland. It's also worth noting that while his words do hold weight, he does work for the owners, or in this case John Fisher.
The first notable thing Manfred said, per the San Francisco Chronicle, is that he has yet to talk to Oakland's new Mayor, Sheng Thao. Mayor Thao's office said that Manfred has not directly reached out to speak with her.
The Commissioner also reiterated that the main issue between the A's and the city of Oakland remains the funding for the project, particularly how the infrastructure will be paid for. "That needs to get solved in order for that process to move forward."
John Shea of the Chronicle also asked Manfred point-blank whether John Fisher prefers Oakland over Las Vegas, to which the Commissioner replied "I think Mr. Fisher wants to make the best deal to secure the future of the A's, whether it's in Oakland or Las Vegas."
Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal also spoke to new Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo recently about the discussions he's had with the A's about potential funding through economic development programs. Lombardo said "those negotiations are so early in the process that it would be detrimental for me to even talk about any details."
The Nevada Governor has stated that he wouldn't raise taxes to help get the A's to Las Vegas.
So where does this leave Howard Terminal?
Manfred said it all depends on the funding that the city is trying to cobble together, and he's not wrong there. But he also didn't necessarily mention that the same is being done in Las Vegas, where the A's still don't have a site picked out, or even renderings for a potential ballpark.
Two years in, the process is still in the early stages in Las Vegas, but the one advantage that they have is that the process can move a lot more quickly once the dominoes start to fall in Nevada, with fewer restrictions in place and fewer hoops to jump through than in California.
The A's are still closer to obtaining a ballpark in Oakland, and Mayor Thao said recently that she is excited to bring a new energy to the negotiations with the A's. She has also said that she doesn't want to put the taxpayers on the hook to keep the A's in Oakland, so she is also looking for a good deal for the city she represents.
Both Thao and Lombardo are presenting the same public face, which is going to make it a little more difficult on John Fisher to find the A's a new home without adjusting what he himself is offering each city.