Could the SF Giants share Oracle Park with the Oakland Athletics?
Could the Oakland Athletics and SF Giants soon share a home ballpark? What seemed like a far-fetched idea in the past could transform into a real possibility, according to reporting by John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle. It seems the rollercoaster regarding the A’s proposed move to Las Vegas continues to present new twists and turns.
The A's could possibly play 30-40 games at Oracle Park starting in 2025.
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The A's are awaiting approval from MLB for their relocation request to Las Vegas. The plan involves playing in a suggested $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof located on the Strip. However, their lease on the Oakland Coliseum is set to expire following the 2024 season.
In simpler terms, the A’s will need a place to play home games for three seasons until their ballpark in Las Vegas is ready in 2028 – with the slow manner in which proceedings are moving now, it’s hard to imagine any aimed timetable is set in stone.
Oracle Park, the Giants’ waterfront ballpark they’ve called home since 2000, is one of three likely locations for the A’s to play home games once their lease expires, Oakland President Dave Kaval told The Nevada Independent this week.
The other two options are the Coliseum – the A’s may extend their lease by a few seasons to fit their needs as construction in Nevada looms – and Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin South, home of the A’s Triple-A club – the Las Vegas Aviators – of the Pacific Coast League. The latter option has some obstacles with significant upgrades needed to function as a viable MLB facility.
“I think those are the three most likely scenarios and how that plays out,” Kaval said. “That's something [Major League Baseball] is running point on.”
According to Shea, the Giants would not comment on Kaval’s statement, but there have been some rumblings about the Giants sharing their stadium with the A’s for roughly 30-40 games
For a plan of this magnitude to happen, it’s likely the Giants would have to sacrifice many of their non-baseball events that are held at Oracle Park while the team is on the road – concerts, ceremonies, additional sporting contests, and other occasions where the venue is rented out would all be significantly cut. They would also have to deal with the addition of extra facilities and the constant maneuvering of brands, which could weigh on team employees and support staff.
Shea also noted the noticeable benefit for the A’s. They wouldn’t have to forgo their current regional TV deal with NBC Sports California, which runs through 2033 and has an annual value close to $60 million. Since the SF Giants have a contract with the same network, the transition would be seamless. If the A’s move out of the Bay Area before their stadium is built, they would be opting to lose all of that TV money. If anything has been learned about Kaval and Oakland owner John Fisher, it’s that maximizing any profit is the main goal.
