The Athletics could move to Las Vegas if the city of Oakland does not drop its lawsuit against Alameda County and the A's, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Tuesday.
Alameda County is attempting to sell its stake in ownership to the A's, but Oakland is suing to try and stop the transaction.
The move apparently blindsided the A's and prompted MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to tell local government officials the team might relocate to Las Vegas if the lawsuit isn't dropped,
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the threat, and Schaaf confirmed it in an interview with KTVU
"The reports of that are accurate," Schaaf said. "That is the city that came out of his mouth."
Schaaf also confirmed that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the A's might move to Las Vegas as a result of the lawsuit.
— KTVU (@KTVU) October 8, 2019
"The reports of that are accurate. That is the city that came out of his mouth," Schaaf said. pic.twitter.com/4od8koS5Kn
Schaff also said she is committed to keeping the team in Oakland, but it will not come at the cost of the city.
“I’ve been clear about the path to keeping the A’s in Oakland — build a privately financed ballpark that’s responsible to taxpayers and enhances neighborhood vitality,” she said, via KPIX on Monday.
The A's and MLB have had a tenuous relationship in recent years as the team has been in pursuit of a new ballpark as the Coliseum is one of the oldest stadiums in baseball and in dire need of an update.
MLB has considered moves in the past to cities like Montreal, which lost its team when the Expos moved to Washington and became the Nationals in 2005. The league is considering letting the Rays play half their games in Montreal and Tampa, so there are clearly other options out there for a team like the A's, even if Montreal is not the first one.
Oakland city council member Larry Reid believes Manfred will move the team if his hand is forced even if Schaff wants to keep the team in Oakland.
“I don’t think he was bluffing,” Reid said. “He was very serious.”
The Warriors are moving from Oracle Arena in Oakland to the Chase Center in San Francisco this season. The Raiders will move to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020, leaving the A's will be the only team remaining in the city after that.