WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Oakland Athletics leadership is set to visit Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Wednesday.
Negotiations between the A's, the city of Oakland and Alameda County aren't close to a deal, ABC7 reported. According to ABC7, the A's are set to have an internal meeting Thursday after the meeting in Sacramento.
Sutter Health Park is being explored as an option for Oakland Athletics games in 2025 because the A’s lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season.
The A's plan to move to a stadium to be built on the Las Vegas Strip with $380 million in public financing approved by the Nevada government, but it remains unclear where the team will play before a new ballpark opens in 2027 at the earliest.
As a die-hard Oakland A's fan, James Haven is having a hard time accepting the team's move to Las Vegas. While the A's prep for their move, Haven says having them in Sacramento, in the mean time, sounds like a good idea.
"There's a lot of A's fans and having the opportunity to have them here, see the support they get from Northern California, would be really great for them," said Haven.
A source close to the organization previously told ABC10 members of the Oakland A's toured the ballpark in January. West Sacramento is the home of the River Cats, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate owned by Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive.
For fans like Haven, if this becomes a reality, he believes it would only be a big economic help.
"It's really going to help businesses like Burgers and Brew and other local businesses that rely on people come into the area," he said.
Salt Lake City is another option being explored by A's representatives, as reported by ABC7.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg previously shared his thoughts on the possibility of the A's having a lease in Sacramento.
“We want more in the city and in this region, more sports, more art, more culture, more amenities and more destinations," Steinberg said.
Steinberg previously said Major League Baseball has expansion plans and if Sacramento can secure the A's temporarily, it could showcase the region as a future MLB destination.
“It is all part of offering more to the people that live in this region, but also to make us a tourist destination as well. That is good for the community. It is good for the economy. Sports is a big part of it, not the only part but a big part of it," Steinberg said.
Oakland is the franchise's third home. It started in Philadelphia from 1901-54, then moved to Kansas City for 13 seasons before arriving in California.
Watch more on ABC10 | Oakland A's Relocation to Las Vegas | Rob Manfred news conference
