LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Oakland A's are still looking for places to play after their current lease at the Coliseum expires at the end of the 2024 season.
On Thursday, team officials met officials from the City of Oakland and Alameda County to discuss extending their lease from 2025 through the 2027.
The A's sent Channel 13 the following statement following Thursday's meeting.
"We had a positive meeting with the City and County. We look forward to further discussions regarding a lease extension at the Coliseum for the interim period before the Vegas ballpark opens.”
According to The Athletic, a person briefed on the team's search process said Sacramento is currently the front-runner to host the A's from 2025-2027.
Sacramento is one of several ballparks that A's officials have toured. They've also stopped in Salt Lake City and looked at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin, which is the home of the Aviators, their Triple-A team.
In the meantime, plans are still moving forward for a ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip. However, nothing has been finalized yet.
As of Friday, the A's haven't revealed plans for a potential ballpark, which would be located where the Tropicana currently sites. According to Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts International's Chief Executive Officer and President of MGM Resorts, there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered.
"I have to believe in the next 30-60 days, we should find out more. I've been shown three versions of it now, in terms of where it will actually sit on the site and how it will connect," Hornbuckle said during the company's recent earnings call. "Once it settles in, we'll get serious about what we might want to do and how we might want to communicate with it in terms of pedestrian traffic, etc."
He said MGM is waiting on doing renovations and upgrades to the MGM Grand until they find out what's happening with the A's.
"For us, obviously, the place to invest capital, first and foremost, if in fact that all happens, is MGM. I mean, it's our brand. It's our namesake. It's on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Trop. It would literally be adjacent to the stadium and it needs some love," Hornbuckle said. "It's a 30-year-old property. We're going to reinvest in the rooms this year. We've got some new show concepts. We've done a few restaurants but the front of the property, as you get closer to Las Vegas Boulevard, needs some attention and some reprogramming."
On Thursday, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said while there will be bumps in the road, he expects a new Las Vegas ballpark to open by 2028.
“I am confident that the deal in Las Vegas is solid and that the A's will build a stadium in Las Vegas and play there in 2028,” Manfred said. “We believe the parcel is adequate for for a major league ballpark. I think the delay in the renderings is due to the discussions between Bally’s and the A’s as to how the ballpark and what else is going to happen there is going to be most efficiently designed to make it the best possible experience for fans."
Manfred also commented on A's fans who want to see the team stay in Oakland.
"First of all, we do have a major-league team in the Bay Area. It’s not like there is not an available option. The Giants, obviously, still play there. But in terms of the other side of the Bay, the Oakland side of the Bay, our community involvement in terms of youth programming, all of the things that we do in major-league communities will continue and I think it’s a sign of our commitment to the community that we will continue that kind of programming. And as I said, most important, there is a fan opportunity that’s not so far away."
