The Athletics, in their pursuit of relocating to Las Vegas by the 2028 season, have revealed their interim home for the 2025-2027 seasons as Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, with an option for a fourth season, as announced on Thursday.
Despite the imminent expiration of their lease with the City of Oakland at the end of this season, the Athletics opted to decline a five-year extension on the Oakland Coliseum lease. This decision, coupled with their aim to retain local broadcasting revenue, steered them toward Sacramento over other out-of-state options, such as Salt Lake City.
The possibility of the team adopting the moniker “Sacramento Athletics” remains uncertain, pending further discussions with Sacramento city officials, following a meeting on Wednesday, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
John Fisher, the franchise owner, expressed the challenges faced in negotiations with Oakland, leading to the decision to relocate temporarily. Fisher stated, “Even with the long-standing relationship and good intentions on all sides in the negotiations with Oakland, the conditions to achieve an agreement seemed out of reach.”
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Sutter Health Park, inaugurated in 2000 with a seating capacity of around 14,000, provides a temporary venue for the Athletics. Although smaller than the average MLB stadium, including the Coliseum, the move comes amid dwindling attendance figures, attributable to the team’s lackluster performance and management issues.
Meanwhile, construction plans for the Athletics’ future Las Vegas venue are pending, awaiting the outcome of a Nevada Supreme Court hearing on April 9, concerning a challenge from the political action committee Schools Over Stadiums.
In the interim, reports indicate that the Athletics intend to utilize existing staff shared with other professional sports teams in Sacramento, such as the NBA’s Kings and the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. However, this decision may result in layoffs for current Athletics employees, according to Casey Pratt of ABC 7 Bay Area.
