LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In a series of social media posts Friday, Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said securing a new ballpark to lure the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas is the "only realistic chance" for the city to get a Major League Baseball team.
Yeager's tweets offered insight into the thinking of the top Democrat in the Assembly on the A's ballpark issue, which was addressed in a special legislative session that lasted for eight days.
Nevada lawmakers approved a bill that will give $380 million in public funds for construction of a planned $1.5 billion ballpark.
APPROVED: Gov. Joe Lombardo signs Oakland A's stadium bill into law
The stadium — expected to open in 2028 — will go at the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas resort casino, which will be demolished.
In his tweets, Yeager said getting an MLB franchise "was always going to require a public-private partnership."
This was the only realistic chance for Las Vegas to obtain an MLB franchise, which was always going to require a public private partnership. While an expansion team might have been possible, I am certain the cost would have been much higher & it would have taken many more years.
— Steve Yeager (@SteveYeagerNV) June 16, 2023
Yeager was one of 25 Nevada politicians in the Assembly who voted for Senate Bill 1, the ballpark bill.
"I voted yes because I believe there is more than a reasonable chance the investment pays off," Yeager tweeted.
He said payoffs will include the creation of jobs and "growing our revenue base" by adding the A's to the growing landscape of Las Vegas pro sports franchises.
Some in Las Vegas have questioned whether the A's will be a competitive team once they move here.
Going into play Friday, the A's had a record of 19-52, second worst in the Major Leagues. The team also has the lowest player payroll in MLB at just under $60 million.
Yeager, however, tweeted that he expects the A's — owned by a group led by billionaire John Fisher — to be competitive in their new home.
Vegas doesn't tolerate losing & the pressure to invest in a winning team will be immense, in addition to the obvious upsides that winning brings in terms of attendance and loyalty. See: VGK. (Go ahead and bookmark this tweet to throw back in my face if I am wrong about that.)
— Steve Yeager (@SteveYeagerNV) June 16, 2023
"Vegas doesn't tolerate losing and the pressure to invest in a winning team will be immense..." Yeager said.
FANS PROTEST: Oakland A's fans fill stadium in reverse boycott of team's move
Yeager also mentioned that he's received mixed feedback about the passage of SB1.
Some are exciting about an MLB team coming here, while others have sent him "profanity laden emails expressing their disappointment or anger."
And the reactions from my friends and constituents have been equally mixed. Some have thanked me, excited that MLB is coming to Las Vegas. Others have sent me profanity laden emails expressing their disappointment or anger. I imagine I have lost a few friends along the way.
— Steve Yeager (@SteveYeagerNV) June 16, 2023
The next step in the possible move to Las Vegas is for the A's to receive permission from MLB owners, but that's widely expected to happen.
As for where the A's will play next season, the team does have a lease that calls for them to play in Oakland through 2024.
A source close to the situation told Channel 13 this week that, as of now, the team does not have plans to try to break that lease.
