A’s get green light to explore relocation options

Team has approval to look for a new home with Howard Terminal project at standstill

With the support of Major League Baseball, the Oakland A’s will start exploring relocation options, the team said in a statement on Tuesday. The announcement is a clear effort to apply pressure on local government officials to OK the ballpark project at Howard Terminal.

“The future success of the A’s depends on the new ballpark,” A’s owner John Fisher said in a statement. “Oakland is a great baseball town, and we will continue to pursue our waterfront ballpark project. We will also explore MLB’s direction to explore other markets.”

News of the latest development in the A’s decades-long search for a new playing facility was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The A’s play in a 55-yearold facility and the Howard Terminal project is the latest potential landing spot for the team. In recent years the A’s nearly built a new ballpark in Fremont and openly sought a move to San Jose. In a statement supporting the A’s potential relocation, MLB concluded the Coliseum is not a viable home for the A’s. The A’s bought half of the Coliseum site from Alameda County for $85 million in 2020. They’ve submitted a formal bid, along with other outside entities, to buy the other half from the City of Oakland.

“The Oakland Coliseum site is not a viable option for the future vision of baseball,” MLB said in the statement. “We have instructed the Athletics to begin to explore other markets while they continue to pursue a waterfront ballpark in Oakland. The Athletics need a new ballpark to remain competitive, so it is now in our best interest to also consider other markets.

The statement also included, “MLB is concerned with the rate of progress on the A’s new ballpark effort with local officials and other stakeholders in Oakland. The A’s have worked very hard to advance a new ballpark in downtown Oakland for the last four years, investing significant resources while facing multiple roadblocks. We know they remain deeply committed to succeeding in Oakland, and with two other sports franchises recently leaving the community, their commitment to Oakland is now more important than ever.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has in recent years listed Las Vegas; Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, British Colombia; Nashville; Charlotte and Montreal as potential expansion sites, and those figure to be on the list of potential suitors for the A’s.

No progress on Howard Terminal has happened after the A’s asked for Oakland city officials to vote on the $12 billion development. The A’s asked for an answer before the city council’s summer recess.

“We have an offer in front of the city council we have not got a response on,” A’s President Dave Kaval told The Associated Press. “So I think we’re still doing what we can to pursue the waterfront ballpark, which we think is a dynamic and exciting project but we are running out of time here in Oakland.”

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf released a statement, via spokesman Justin Berton:

“We share MLB’s sense of urgency and their continued preference for Oakland. Today’s statement makes clear that the only viable path to keeping the A’s rooted in Oakland is a ballpark on the waterfront. We have made great strides with the Governor’s certification and release of the EIR. Now, with the recent start of financial discussions with the A’s, we call on our entire community — regional and local partners included — to rally together and support a new, financially viable, fiscally responsible, world class waterfront neighborhood that enhances our city and region, and keeps the A’s in Oakland where they belong.”