November election in Oakland to play role in A’s future home, Las Vegas still a viable option

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Another season ended for the Oakland Athletics without a clear picture of the team’s future.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in an interview with the Sports Business Journal that the league prefers the A’s stay put, but still considers Las Vegas a viable option if the proposed Howard Terminal project in Oakland falls through.

This summer the proposed project on the San Francisco Bay passed several hurdles, but an unofficial deadline for the city council to have a final vote on the plan has now passed without an agreement.

There will be no binding vote by the Oakland city council before the November election.

The current Oakland mayor is in favor of the proposed ballpark. However, her term expires and there will be at least two new city council members following the election.

Manfred told the Sports Business Journal the turnover on the city council adds urgency to the process and more uncertainty if no deal is done soon.

A’s president Dave Kaval has previously said if the waterfront ballpark in Oakland isn’t green-lit by the end of the year, the team would likely land in Las Vegas.

If it’s not the A’s Vegas lands, southern Nevada isn’t out of the running for an MLB team. Manfred said the goal is to expand to 32 teams, which means adding two more franchises.

The lease on the A’s current stadium expires in 2024.

Governor Steve Sisolak said he would not consider a room tax package to finance a new ballpark if the A’s were to relocate to Las Vegas.

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