Athletics have new feelings for Oakland

The Oakland Athletics have gone from the team desperately trying to leave Oakland just a few years ago to the one that will soon become the lone pro team left in the East Bay city.

With the Oakland Raiders having been approved this week by the NFL to move to Las Vegas in 2020 and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors set to move across the bay to San Francisco in 2019, the A’s will soon have Oakland to themselves and are playing up their long connection to the city.

The attachment to Oakland is a change of heart for the franchise.

The A’s bought land in Fremont, about 25 miles south of Oakland, in 2006 with hopes of building a new stadium there. When that plan failed, the team turned to San Jose but were blocked by the San Francisco Giants.

Now they are committed to picking out a new ballpark location in Oakland before the end of the year. The team is looking at four choices: Coliseum site, one on the water by Jack London Square, and two other sites close to Lake Merritt near downtown.

Mets

Zack Wheeler earned a spot in New York’s rotation after missing two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Robert Gsellman will begin the season as the team’s No. 5 starter in place of the injured Steven Matz. Manager Terry Collins chose to use Wheeler in a role he is familiar with rather than send him to the bullpen.

Nationals

Blake Treinen will begin the season as the closer for the Washington Nationals, even though he has only one big league save. Manager Dusty Baker announced Treinen, 28, won the job.