A's Interim Options and Why They're All Bad
The Oakland A's are searching for a home. They'll be in Oakland in 2024, and they hope to open up a ballpark in Las Vegas in 2028, but the three years in between are still in question.
Yesterday, A's officials toured Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the Triple-A River Cats, a San Francisco Giants affiliate. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, they also have plans to tour Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City, home of the Los Angeles Angels Triple-A affiliate, the Bees.
While the A's are having a tough time with the whole "building a ballpark" thing, the Bees are set to open their new ballpark in 2025 with construction already underway. Smith's Ballpark was built in 1994 and would be outdated for a Triple-A team, but John Fisher wants to consider it a home for his Major League franchise.
The Review-Journal also pointed out that the home of the Reno Aces could also be in the mix as a potential home for the A's.
While any ballpark in the country could feasibly work as a short-term solution to this problem, the bigger issue at play here is the A's television rights, which pays them a reported $67 million per season. The only catch is that they have to stay in the Bay Area to receive that full sum. Even a move up to Sacramento would lead to a meeting between Fisher and Comcast Sports California on future payments at a reduced rate.
If the rumors are true and Fisher is having a difficult time finding the money to build his ballpark in Las Vegas, then securing every last penny that he can from that deal would seem like a good idea. That also likely eliminates any out-of-state options from consideration unless there is more money to be made.
While getting as far away from Oakland may seem like a good idea since the media scrutiny wouldn't be as bad in a market that isn't as accustomed to how Fisher and company operate, such a move would also make it more difficult to build up the roster for their grand unveiling in Las Vegas. That goes for any Triple-A park, not just the ones in Utah or Nevada.
Here's a question: After spending years in the minor leagues only to establish themselves in the Majors and reach free agency six years later, how many impact players that have other options are going to sign up to go play in a minor-league facility for half their games? The answer is likely zero.
Even the A's minor leaguers would be getting a raw deal in this situation. Las Vegas Ballpark opened in 2019, while Sutter Health Park opened in 2000, Smith's in 1994, and Greater Nevada Ballpark in 2009. The A's current Triple-A facility is the newest of the current crop of ballparks to choose from, and reaching the big leagues would be a step back in facilities for those guys.
The A's could choose to play at Las Vegas Ballpark, but they only get one chance to make a first impression, and they wouldn't get any of that RSN money either, so it may not be the leading option.
There are no good answers to this problem. The A's want their television money and to be able to hit the ground running in Las Vegas if/when their ballpark opens. It's going to be hard to satisfy both of those desires given their current options.
The one option that would give them their full television contract and perhaps not hinder their being able to attract free agents would be the Coliseum, though that seems unlikely given the tensions between Oakland and the A's. He could also choose to play half his games at Oracle Park in San Francisco if the Giants were amenable, securing the full $67 million in RSN and then descending on a Triple-A field near you for the remainder of the schedule, but again, top-tier free agents are signing up for that and it's a raw deal for the current players that would need two homes per season.
If John Fisher wants to give his relocation a chance, the Coliseum may be his best bet. If he's feeling generous, he could even try his best to honor the legacy of baseball in Oakland while he's at in an attempt to try and repair some of his image locally. It would be good for him when he lands in Vegas, and it would be nice for the fans to have a few more good memories at the place they've spent numerous summers.
To get that ball rolling he could allow the Oakland Ballers to play a game or two at the Coliseum each year, and to also allow the Oakland Roots and Soul to build their soccer stadium in the Malibu lot. Basically, don't get in the way and let the city move on.