Major League Baseball (MLB) owners unanimously approved the relocation of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas on Thursday, allowing the team to officially obtain the many approvals needed in Southern Nevada surrounding the construction of a $1.5 billion ballpark on the Strip.
The vote, confirmed to The Nevada Independent by two Bay Area baseball sources but not authorized to speak on the matter, is expected to be formally announced by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred during a press conference Thursday in Arlington, Texas, where the owners' meeting took place.
The vote gives the A’s the backing necessary to move forward on obtaining the financing and gaining approvals for a 33,000-seat ballpark that would use 9 acres of a 35-acre site currently housing the Tropicana Las Vegas. The resort is expected to be closed and demolished by the end of the year.
Las Vegas Stadium Authority Chairman Steve Hill said ahead of the vote the A’s need numerous approvals from the board and several Clark County agencies before the team can touch up to $380 million in public financing approved by the Legislature for the stadium through a combination of tax credits and $120 million in Clark County-issued bonds.
One question remaining after the vote is where the A’s will play before the stadium’s completion in time for the 2028 MLB season.
The A’s have a lease agreement to play at the 57-year-old Oakland Coliseum in 2024, but it expires at the end of the year. Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval has suggested the team could share Oracle Park with the San Francisco Giants, play in Las Vegas at the 10,000-seat Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin, or go back to Oakland for three additional years before moving to Las Vegas.