VOTE ON A’S MOVE COULD BE JUNE
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet from June 13-15 in New York.
“It’s possible that a relocation vote could happen as early as June,” Manfred said Thursday at Milwaukee during his tour of major league stadiums to speak with players.
“It’s very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there’s actually a deal to be considered. There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven’t even started that process.”
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said Wednesday that legislative leaders and the Athletics had reached a tentative agreement on a $1.5 billion stadium funding plan that would lure the franchise to Las Vegas.
A funding bill still must be approved by the Legislature.
Manfred was asked whether he believes the door is completely closed on the possibility of the Athletics remaining in Oakland, where the team has played since 1968.
“I think you’d have to ask the mayor of Oakland that,” Manfred said. “She said she had cut off negotiations after an announcement was made in Las Vegas. I don’t have a crystal ball as to where anything’s going. There’s not a definitive deal done in Las Vegas. We’ll have to see how that plays out.”
The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits.
With their future unsettled, the Athletics are struggling at an historic level on the field and in the stands.
They began Thursday 1041 after matching matching the 1932 Boston Red Sox and 1897 St. Louis Browns for the fourth-worst 50-game start in major league history. Their average home attendance of 8,695 is nearly 3,600 fewer fans per game than that of any other team.
Notable
Two-time All-Star Gary Sánchez was designated for assignment by the New York Mets when they reinstated fellow catcher Tomás Nido from the injured list. Sánchez went 1 for 6 with three strikeouts and an RBI in three games with New York, looking shaky at times behind the plate. With two Mets catchers on the IL, he joined the club on a minor league contract this month and was promoted to the big leagues last Friday after hitting well in a short stint at Triple-A Syracuse.