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SALT LAKE CITY — The Oakland Athletics are officially moving to Las Vegas, the last domino that needed to fall before Major League Baseball explores possible expansion — and the list of cities vying for a future team, including Salt Lake City, appears to be growing as a result of the upcoming relocation.
The league's 30 team owners unanimously approved the team's request to relocate to Las Vegas during a league owner meeting in Texas Thursday morning.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred reiterated after the meeting that the league would have preferred to keep the team in Oakland, saying that there was "an effort" to find a stadium that could keep the team in Oakland that "didn't happen." In the end, the league determined that there "was not a viable path forward in Oakland."
"There's a lot of back and forth, but the fact of the matter is there was never a deal in Oakland," he said in a post-meeting press conference. "I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland. I understand that and that's why we always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation — and I truly believe we did that in this case."
John Fisher, the team's owner, added that the vote "marks a significant moment for our franchise." The team played its first season in Philadelphia beginning in 1901 and previously relocated to Kansas City before moving to Oakland in the 1960s.
Oakland leaders have refuted the league's claims about a stadium deal in the past. In June, city officials wrote in a statement to ESPN that they had "gone above and beyond to clear hurdles," to set up a "very concrete proposal" for the A's ownership to consider.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement Thursday that she was "disappointed" by the league owners' vote.
The A's lease at Oakland Coliseum ends after the 2024 season and team officials said they are evaluating "multiple options for interim play" between 2025 and when a new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip opens in 2028. Nevada lawmakers approved a $380 million package in June to help the team build a $1.5 billion stadium.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweeted that the A's are considering a plan to "play in a variety of sites," including Oracle Park in San Francisco and Las Vegas Ballpark, home to the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate.
Thursday's vote secures the future of the franchise, though, following the Tampa Bay Rays' announcement in September that it had finalized a plan for a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the future of both teams needed to be certain before the league considers expansion, including Utah's bid for a team in Salt Lake City.
Manfred said in July that the league will form an expansion committee "pretty shortly" after the teams' futures are solidified. The committee is expected to review various issues, like entry fees and revenue. It's expected that the league will add two new teams if it does expand.
The field of cities for the league to consider grew with Thursday's vote. Thao added that Oakland wants to keep the A's branding as it continues to "work to pursue expansion opportunities."
While Nashville, Tennessee, is considered the favorite to land an expansion team, several experts say Salt Lake City is in a good position to land a team, as well. Manfred said Thursday that there are no preferences at the moment.
"When and if we have an expansion process, every city that's interested in having an expansion franchise will have an opportunity to participate," he said.
Larry H. Miller Company officials announced the formation of a coalition called Big League Utah earlier this year that is behind the state's push for a team. It has a "preferred shovel-ready site" for a new stadium that would be located in Salt Lake City's forthcoming Power District, a section of about 100 acres that Rocky Mountain Power is planning to redevelop on the city's west side.
The league has yet to outline a timeline for when it would announce any expansion teams.
