A's buy land in Vegas expect to move by 2027

[Moranis]

Looks like Oakland is just becoming a feeder market for Vegas.  First the Raiders, now the A's.

[Vermont Green]

It makes sense.  Probably people who are Raiders fans are also A's fans.  I heard Rob Manfred on the radio the other day.  He pretty much confirmed that the A's are going to Vegas, that the Rays will either get a new stadium or be moved, and that they want to expand to 32 teams.  He said part of the reason for the 32 teams is so that there would be an even number to break down into divisions and leagues.  He hinted that they would get the Tampa situation settled first, and then figure out where the new teams should go.

The other thing he discussed was revamping the way the teams are organized to have an East Conference and a West Conference (like the NBA) instead of the AL and NL.  He said this would cut down on travel and otherwise have advantages.  This is a big change.  It makes a lot of sense, but some fans won't like it.

[slamtheking]

It makes sense.  Probably people who are Raiders fans are also A's fans.  I heard Rob Manfred on the radio the other day.  He pretty much confirmed that the A's are going to Vegas, that the Rays will either get a new stadium or be moved, and that they want to expand to 32 teams.  He said part of the reason for the 32 teams is so that there would be an even number to break down into divisions and leagues.  He hinted that they would get the Tampa situation settled first, and then figure out where the new teams should go.

The other thing he discussed was revamping the way the teams are organized to have an East Conference and a West Conference (like the NBA) instead of the AL and NL.  He said this would cut down on travel and otherwise have advantages.  This is a big change.  It makes a lot of sense, but some fans won't like it.

Baseball continues to look to shed the traditions that made it unique among the major sports.  doesn't surprise me at this point that they're looking at doing away with AL/NL for conferences.  would really suck but doesn't surprise me. 

Amazed TB hasn't been relocated long before now with the lack of fan support.  if any team should be the first to move, it should be them.  A's can wait -- still have a decent fan base and a lot of history in Oakland unlike TB.

[Birdman]

Can’t blame to much on the owners..if ppl don’t come & city don’t help, then u got to move to make money & compete..3k attendance won’t cut it plus can’t sign good players to long term

[Moranis]

well once the league got the same rules, I think it does make sense

Assuming Tampa stays in Tampa, I suspect they add a team back to Montreal and then Nashville, Louisville, Charlotte, or Salt Lake.  So let's go Montreal and Charlotte.

Doing that, I think the 8 4-team divisions

East
1 - Boston, NY, NY, Montreal
2 - Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati
3 - Pittsburgh, Philly, Baltimore, Washington
4 - Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Charlotte

West
5 - Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago, Chicago
6 - St. Louis, KC, Houston, Texas
7 - SD, LA, LA, Arizona
8 - Seattle, Colorado, San Fran, Vegas

[Birdman]

Oakland got to be the worst city for sports..u got Warriors, Raiders & now As moving doesn’t speak to well

[wdleehi]

Can’t blame to much on the owners..if ppl don’t come & city don’t help, then u got to move to make money & compete..3k attendance won’t cut it plus can’t sign good players to long term

Can't blame fans in Oakland for not going to the games anymore.   Owners do not put money in the team (pocketing the revenue sharing)   

I am not sure, are the Tampa games empty?   (nevermind, they are)

[theswitch]

Oakland got to be the worst city for sports..u got Warriors, Raiders & now As moving doesn’t speak to well

This is just wrong -- maybe biased because I live in Oakland but the Raiders and Warriors fans were some of the most notoriously diehard in the country. Raider Nation was incredible in Oakland, and the Warriors fandom was hardcore. The Warriors moving to SF was 100% corporate dollars related and not at all related to the fan base or the city of Oakland. Pure dollars. If you're solving for hardcore, quality fans, you want to stay in Oakland (and Boston of course!).

A's weren't quite on the same level but a major component of the city's identity and culture, and the fans have always stood by the team. Not their fault that the team is trash and the owners haven't invested in the stadium.

Major catastrophe for a great city in the search of dollars.

[Vermont Green]

I am more familiar with the Tampa situation than the Oakland situation but no one goes to the games in Tampa even though the team is generally good.  The location and condition of the stadium is a major issue.  I have been there a few times.  It is truly a horrible ball park experience.  But it is hard to know for sure if a better stadium in a better location would solve the problem.  Maybe, but it is still summer in Florida.  Based on what Manfred said on the radio, it sounds to me that Plan A is a new stadium but if they can't work that out, then the team is going to be moved.

In Oakland, I have never been to the stadium but based on TV, it looks pretty bad.  Then you have the Giants taking up some of the fans and market share.  It appears that the decision has been made that the A's are moving to Vegas.  Sounds to me like a chicken and egg thing.  Fans don't come to the games because the team doesn't spend and the team doesn't spend because the fans don't come to the games.  Not sure if the fans watch on TV much.