The Athletics plan to play the next three MLB seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento before moving into a proposed Las Vegas ballpark in 2028.
But what might happen if the A's Las Vegas plans stall or fall through? Could the team stay in Sacramento beyond the 2027 season?
In a feature article published Wednesday, ESPN's Tim Keown spoke to several sources close to the negotiations involving the A's, the city of Oakland and Sacramento officials, and one source believes the team remaining in the state capitol if the Las Vegas deal hits a snag was part of the motivation for Kings owner Vivek Ranadive allowing the MLB franchise to use the Triple-A ballpark rent free.
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"Vivek is definitely bright," the source, who was granted anonymity, told Keown. "He made an assessment: Vegas will eventually fall apart and wherever the team is at that moment is where it will stay. He's not the only one who believes that."
During last Thursday's press conference in Sacramento, Ranadive made it clear he wants to show everyone that the city is "world class" and can support professional sports.
"[A's owner] John [Fisher], thank you for this opportunity to be part of the A's legacy and show the world why Sacramento is a destination city for major league sports," Ranadive said last Thursday. "I also want to thank MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. It's an honor for West Sacramento to host Major League Baseball at Sutter Health Park."
But while speaking with reporters after Thursday's press conference, Ranadive said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred didn't commit to giving Sacramento a future expansion team.
Oakland Athletics
“Yeah, there's no guarantee," Ranadive said. "We have to show what we can do, and I have complete confidence that if we set our mind to something ... this is an incredible city, we have the best fans in the world and at the end of the day, the best fans in the world will make it happen.”
Fisher, team president Dave Kaval and the A's are full steam ahead on the plan to move to Las Vegas in time for the start of the 2028 MLB season. But if the train derails, Sacramento might be the best option to hold onto the team.