Athletics’ Las Vegas relocation approved by MLB owners originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
MLB owners on Thursday morning voted unanimously to approve the Athletics’ relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, the team confirmed.
The vote took place at the MLB owners meetings in Arlington, Texas.
A’s owner John Fisher shared a statement after the vote, thanking owners and commissioner Rob Manfred for their part in the ongoing relocation process.
“I want to express my gratitude to the owners and Commissioner for their thoughtful deliberation and positive votes in favor of our relocation to Las Vegas.
“Today marks a significant moment for our franchise, and it’s met with mixed emotions – sadness for this change and excitement for our future. I know this is a hard day for our fans in Oakland. We made sincere efforts to keep our team in Oakland, but unfortunately, it did not work out. I am grateful to the fans who have supported our team throughout the years and the home Oakland provided. The storied history of our franchise includes three cities over the past century: Oakland, along with Kansas City and Philadelphia, will always be part of this franchise’s DNA.
“We are excited to begin this next chapter in Las Vegas. I want to thank the Las Vegas and Nevada community for welcoming us. We will continue to work hard to bring home more championships for our fans and for our new home in Vegas.”
Fisher also sent a lengthy letter to A’s fans.
While the owners have approved Fisher’s bid to move the A’s to Las Vegas, hurdles remain before the franchise can officially call Sin City home.
As the San Jose Mercury News’ Jason Mastrodonato reported earlier this week, the A’s still need to check several boxes, including securing approval of a stadium operating agreement and a non-relocation agreement with Las Vegas, a construction agreement, a private financing plan and new renderings for the proposed Las Vegas ballpark after the initial design was deemed insufficient.
“It’s the next step,” former Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos team president David Samson told Mastrodonato. “It’s a step. It’s not the final step. Even with a relocation approval vote, that doesn’t mean Oakland is losing its team.
“What they will approve is for the A’s to relocate to Las Vegas. But that’s not baseball approving the finished documents.”
Samson was involved in the relocation attempts by both the Marlins and Expos, so he’s well aware of the challenges that still face…