KevFu
Registered User
The A's own half the land if they ever want anything there. They would get money from the A's if they used the stadium extra years. The A's have other options too.
Oakland isn't in good enough of a bargaining position to demand an enormous take it or leave it change your entire future plans ultimatum for them to use a terrible stadium for 1-3 more seasons, only to have to use that same terrible stadium an additional 2-4 years after that if they did.
I question that. The rent the A's paid on the Coliseum is like $1.2 million a year.
Oakland is probably spending more than that on having police officers and extended BART service for 81 home games.
Lame duck A's seasons aren't bringing in all kinds of economic activity to the stadium, but you also can't cut security because of just how angry the fans are at ownership.
Letting the Las Vegas A's play 3 more seasons in Oakland should be an absolute non-starter for the city.
Letting the A's play in the Coliseum if they agree to re-open Howard Terminal negotiations is a starter. And "you can play here... if you leave the name, colors and brand here when you leave for Vegas" should be on the table as well.
"Leave the team name with the city, and secure an ironclad deal from MLB that we'll get the next expansion team as soon as we find an ownership group, and we'll let you stay as long as you need without tying you down beyond that."
That gives Oakland the As and no John Fisher, so I think they'd be all in for that version.
Yup, I realized that as I was typing it!
I don't know how feasible the MLB expansion team is. The Giants can claim the territorial rights unless MLB leadership handles everything the right way. Which it's Manfred so he won't.
The dude basically said "Eff em, be Giants fans" TODAY.