OAKLAND, Calif. — MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday at All-Star Game festivities that the fate of the Athletics' future in Oakland will soon be decided.
The A's have played at the Coliseum since 1968 and their lease expires after the 2024 season.
The A's have proposed a new ballpark in the Howard Terminal area of Oakland, and Manfred said if the stadium project is not approved, the team would move forward with either a move to Las Vegas or other possible cities.
On Wednesday's Locked On Today podcast, Locked On A's host Jason Burke joined the show to talk about the ultimatum that Manfred proposed on Tuesday.
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The Oakland City Council will vote on a non-binding terms sheet on July 20.
"This is a big vote that we've been waiting on for a couple of months," Burke said on Locked On Today. "If you see a 'yea' there's still a lot of hurdles. If it's a 'nay', it doesn't mean that baseball is dead in Oakland, but it's not the vote that you want."
“The Oakland process is at an end,” Manfred said on Tuesday. "John Fisher, Dave Kaval have devoted literally millions of dollars to the effort to get a ballpark proposal that could be supported by the city of Oakland and Alameda County. That proposal is in front of the relevant governmental authorities. There are really crucial votes that are going to take place over the next couple of months, and that’s going to determine the fate of baseball in Oakland."
MLB announced on May 11 that it had instructed the A's to explore relocation options.
Other possible cities for franchises Manfred has mentioned in the past include Charlotte, Montreal, Nashville, Portland and Vancouver.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Also on today's Locked On Today:
- Is Kawhi Leonard's time in Los Angeles coming to an end?
- The New Orleans Pelicans are zeroing in on their next head coach.
- The American League beat the National League 5-2 in the All-Star Game and your winning pitcher was none other than Shohei Ohtani.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred talked about a few rule changes that could be coming to Major League Baseball.
- The Team USA Men’s basketball team stabilized itself by putting together the most complete game of its Olympic preparation schedule, beating Argentina 108-80 on Tuesday night.
