Before the Athletics begin playing at Sutter Health Park next season, the Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento will need some upgrades in order to meet MLB standards.
League commissioner Rob Manfred recently revealed what some of those improvements will be so that the Sacramento River Cats' home field will be ready to host big leaguers for several years.
“They are actually constructing a separate building adjacent to the stadium that will be the home clubhouse,” Manfred said Thursday at the conclusion of MLB's spring owner meetings, via The Athletic. “They’re renovating the visiting clubhouse. There’s going to be new artificial turf installed. They are upgrading the camera capability, so they get major-league quality broadcasts out of Sacramento. There’s some revenue-associated renovations: some club seating and video boards that are being done in the stadium.
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“So there’s a lot going on there to get it up to snuff for the interim period. They’ve had great receptivity. I think they have seat deposits from like, 13,000 people or something — they’re doing okay.”
The A's, in partnership with Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, announced on April 4 that they temporarily will play at Sutter Health Park from 2025 through at least 2027 after their Oakland Coliseum lease expires following the current 2024 MLB season. The agreement includes an option for a fourth year in case the A's proposed Las Vegas ballpark isn't ready by the 2028 MLB season.
Shortly after news of the A's three-year pit-stop in West Sacramento was made public, an MLBPA spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea that the union would need to sign off on Sutter Health Park meeting league standards.
While Manfred's comments on fan interest make it clear there's some excitement about MLB games coming to the state's capital, there remains plenty of work to do before the A's can settle in.