A’s Las Vegas plan: Where will they play between now and 2027?
The A’s are ready to leave the Coliseum behind.
They signaled as much when they announced late Wednesday night that they had reached a binding agreement to buy a plot of land in Las Vegas to build a new stadium and relocate to Sin City.
That deal, and the plan associated with it, would put the A’s on a path to an off-Strip stadium in 2027 at the earliest. Their lease at the Coliseum ends following the 2024 season.
So where will they play in 2025 and 2026? The New York Times mentioned Thursday that Oracle Park could be one option, but two others appear more likely: Extending at the Coliseum, similar to what happened with the Raiders while their Las Vegas stadium was being built, or playing at Las Vegas Ballpark — the home of their Triple-A affiliate — while constructing the MLB stadium.
Team president Dave Kaval said the A’s have a deal in place with the Aviators to use Las Vegas Ballpark if needed — possibly as soon as next season if the sides agree to terminate the lease early. Kaval also said the Aviators will remain in Las Vegas. The Minnesota Twins have a similar arrangement with their Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul, which is about 10 minutes from Target Field.
Some fans might want the team to hit the road sooner than later, angry that John Fisher and Co. are leaving Oakland. Others may want the A’s to stick around so they can see more games before saying goodbye.
Here are some positives and negatives — from the team’s perspective — of playing 2025 and 2026 in Oakland vs. heading to Las Vegas.
Oakland Coliseum
Pros
—The A’s already own half of the Coliseum. That surely helps offset the lease cost, or they could leverage selling that stake into a cheaper extension.
—They could continue their teardown-and-rebuild cycle, potentially entering Las Vegas in 2027 with a team that is two years closer to contention.
—If attendance stays low, they can continue selling the story that they aren’t well supported in Oakland.
Cons
— They are on pace to have the lowest home attendance of the 30 teams for the second season in a row and they will only become a bigger national embarrassment to MLB if even fewer fans fill the seats.
Las Vegas Ballpark
Pros
—Even at a 10,000-seat stadium, they are likely to draw better attendance with a new, excited fanbase than the one they intend to abandon
—Put the whole relocation mess in the past sooner than later
— A combination of hot, desert temperatures and cozy dimensions could do wonders for fans of the long ball: There were an average of 3.67 home runs hit per game last season at Las Vegas Ballpark, compared to 1.71 per game at the Coliseum. The A’s have only hit nine home runs in their first 12 home games this season.
Cons
— The park is an open-air stadium, which means every home game would likely need to start at 7:30 p.m. to combat Vegas’ searing temperatures.
— Stadium’s capacity may be 10,000, but that includes standing room-only tickets, meaning fans would really be crammed into the park. (Plus, can you imagine how many fans would try squeezing into the pool behind the fence in right-center?)
— Because it’s not a big-league facility, MLB and the players association would both have to sign off on the A’s spending a season or two there.
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