The Athletics' bid to move from Oakland to Las Vegas should take another step in that direction later this week.
MLB owners, holding their annual meetings in Arlington, Texas, are expected to approve the A's relocation bid on Thursday, The Athletic's Evan Drellich reported, citing people briefed on the process.
Drellich also reported that all 30 MLB owners now are in possession of a report on the A's efforts to move put together by the league's relocation committee.
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While it only would take eight dissenting owners voting against the A's relocation to Las Vegas, Drellich reported that there might not be any "no" votes.
“I haven’t heard anyone who’s against,” one person briefed on the report and ownership thinking, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told Drellich.
Per Drellich, MLB's report on the viability of the A's relocating to Las Vegas doesn't paint a rosy picture for the team's success, but the report indicates that "there was no perceived better alternative."
The expected vote comes days after Oakland mayor Sheng Thao and A's fans implored MLB owners to reject the team's relocation.
Athletics
Mayor Thao sent a letter, obtained by ESPN, to a dozen MLB owners urging them to look at the amount of public funding Oakland has secured for a potential new ballpark.
"The proposed funding assistance for a new stadium development is thus nearly triple the $380M the A's have reportedly secured in Las Vegas, for a much smaller stadium project," Thao wrote. "… There is a clear path to build a state-of-the-art new ballpark here in Oakland, and to do so just as expeditiously (if not more so) than in Las Vegas."
While MLB owners reportedly are expected to approve the A's move to Las Vegas, it's not a done deal.
Schools over Stadiums is attempting to put the $380 million in public funding on the Nov. 2024 election ballot, hoping Nevada residents redirect that money away from a potential A's stadium.
Despite what is expected to happen on Thursday in Texas, the A's can't start packing for Las Vegas just yet.
