A’S REACH DEAL ON NEW VEGAS SITE
The Oakland Athletics reached an agreement with Bally’s and Gaming & Leisure Properties to build a potential stadium on the Tropicana hotel site along the Las Vegas Strip.
Bally’s Corp. made the announcement Monday for a 30,000-seat stadium on the 35-acre site. The project is expected to cost about $1.5 billion, and the A’s are asking for nearly $400 million in public support from the Nevada Legislature, which could vote on a proposal this week.
The A’s previously signed an agreement to build a stadium also on Tropicana Avenue but on the other side of Interstate 15 that runs alongside the Strip. They were expected to ask the Legislature for $500 million in public funds for the 49acre site that would have included much more than a stadium.
The new agreement is a scaled-down proposal but the location is in closer walking distance for fans who are staying in hotels on the south end of the Strip. “We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location,” A’s President Dave Kaval said in a statement. “We are thrilled to work alongside Bally’s and GLPI, and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada.”
Kaval has said he hopes to break ground on a new ballpark next year and open the venue in time for the 2027 season. The A’s have a lease at Oakland Coliseum through 2024, and they could play the 2025 and ’26 seasons at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to their Triple-A affiliate Aviators.
The Tropicana opened in 1957 and in its heyday drew such A-listers as Sammy Davis Jr. Now the Trop is overshadowed by nearby megaresorts such as the MGM Grand, New York-New York and Mandalay Bay, and soon it likely will meet the fate of so many other historic Las Vegas hotels that are no longer around.
“We are honored to have been selected to partner with the Oakland Athletics on this monumental step in helping to bring Major League Baseball to the great city of Las Vegas, and to be a part of the once-in-a-generation opportunity of having a professional baseball team located within a short walk of the Las Vegas Strip,” Bally’s President George Papanier said in a statement. “The Tropicana has been a landmark of Las Vegas for generations, and this development will enhance this iconic site for generations to come.”
The A’s had been looking for a new home for years to replace the outdated and run-down Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. It is averaging less than 9,500 fans at home this season, by far the lowest among the 30 teams.
The team had been in negotiations with the city of Oakland to build a stadium on the waterfront but switched the focus entirely to Las Vegas last month. The A’s exclusive negotiating rights deal with the Port of Oakland for the Howard Terminal site expired last Friday.
Notable
The Rays reinstated closer Peter Fairbanks from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Chris Muller to Triple-A Durham. Fairbanks, who hasn’t pitched since April 28, has been sidelined by inflammation near his right wrist. He has not allowed a run in 72⁄3 scoreless innings over eight appearances this season. He has three saves.
• The Angels put infielder Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain. The move was retroactive to Sunday, when Rendon was out of the lineup for a game at Cleveland. He was hurt Saturday.
• First baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf agreed to a one-year contract with the Brewers, two days after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the minor leagues with the Giants. The 36-year-old Ruf hit .261 with no homers and three RBIs in nine games with the Giants this season. San Francisco designated him for assignment on May 9. In other moves, the Brewers placed first baseman Luke Voit on the 10-day injured list with a strained neck, transferred right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff
to the 60-day injured list, recalled right-hander Trevor Megill from Triple-A Nashville and optioned righthander Colin Rea to Nashville.
• Mets manager Buck Showalter said RHP Carlos Carrasco (elbow inflammation) could return from the injured list Friday or Saturday if his between-starts work day goes well. Carrasco pitched four shutout innings Sunday in a rehabilitation start for Double-A Binghamton.
• The Rockies placed first baseman C.J. Cron on the 10-day injured list because of back spasms. Cron left Sunday’s win over Philadelphia in the third inning after popping out in his second at-bat. Cron knelt on one knee along the first base line and was looked at by team athletic trainers before walking off the field.
• Cubs center fielder
Cody Bellinger left Monday night’s game against the Astros with left knee injury after making an acrobatic catch in the seventh inning. Cubs manager David Ross
said he doesn’t believe Bellinger’s injury is serious. “Doc checked him out — nothing major,” Ross said. “We’ll see how he wakes up in the morning. He’s icing it now ... but all the checks the doc did, ligaments and things seem to be OK.”