The Athletics are on the verge of becoming the latest professional sports team to relocate, as they appear set to leave Oakland for the bright, shining lights of Las Vegas.
While some Las Vegans will be excited to have another professional sports team join the Golden Knights, Raiders and Aces in town, not all are. That includes the city's most famous MLB player.
Bryce Harper is feeling a bit conflicted about the Athletics' move to Las Vegas. On one hand, he always dreamed of baseball catching on in his hometown, and it is finally happening.
MORE: Why A's fans packed Oakland Coliseum in protest of possible Las Vegas move
But on the other hand?
“I feel bad for the A’s and their fans,” Harper said Wednesday, per The Athletic. “They’re so rooted in Oakland. Those fans bleed green. Now it’s, ‘Hey, we’re going to pick the A’s to come to Vegas.’ I don’t agree with that. Who cares what I think? It’s my own opinion. But when you see a team like the A’s — there’s so much history at the Coliseum with all the great players they’ve had. And the last couple of years, it hasn’t been the greatest. I get that. I totally understand.
“But do I believe they should leave Oakland because of that? No. They could be as good as anybody if they actually went and did it. Those fans deserve that.”
Harper also intimated that he didn't know whether baseball would catch on as quickly as the other sports in the area have. Why is that? Because many Las Vegans have already chosen to root for an MLB team, much like Harper selected the Yankees in his younger years.
“Are they really going to sell out for a Yankees game on a Friday night?” Harper said. “Is it going to happen? I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t think anybody knows. … Do you think people are going to drop the Cubs or the White Sox to be A’s fans? There’s no way. No chance."
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However, Harper did acknowledge that the long-term gambit could pay off if the team focuses on building a younger fan base.
But that 5- or 6-year-old, in the next 10 years, they could grow up A’s fans. In 10 years, you could have a lot of fans.
But that would also require the A's to spend a lot of money to improve their product, something that the team hasn't done often in recent years under John Fisher.
As such, Harper believes if the Athletics want to catch on in Las Vegas, they will need to change their approach.
"They’re going to have to build behind a player," Harper said. "Who is that player going to be? Because it has to start next year. … If they go to Vegas next year, you have to be able to go, ‘We’re going to get this player. We’re going to spend $300 million on him. And this is what it’s going to be.’ And he’s your guy. You have to build around that player. But it has to be a dude. It can’t be a middle-of-the-road guy. It has to be a dude. And it should be two."
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Could that "dude" end up being Harper? It's highly unlikely. The 30-year-old is under contract with the Phillies through 2031 and seems happy to remain in Philadelphia.
"If I ever play there, then something really bad happened here," Harper said of Las Vegas. "I hope I die in a Phillies jersey."
