The Oakland A’s could potentially be making a move out of the Bay Area and the betting odds are out at offshore books for where their new home might be. And there’s a clear favorite on the list.
This all started when the A’s said back in May the team is looking to relocate, even though their lease at the Oakland Coliseum doesn’t run out until 2024. Mainly because, as MLB said in a statement, "The Oakland Coliseum site is not a viable option for the future vision of baseball. We have instructed the Athletics to begin to explore other markets while they continue to pursue a waterfront ballpark in Oakland.”
And offshore books have Las Vegas at -200 to be the next home of the A’s. Las Vegas is followed on the list by Nashville at +450, Montreal at 5-1, and San Jose at 6-1.
Before the All-Star Game last week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told the Baseball Writers' Association of America he thinks Las Vegas would be a good option for Oakland.
"Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club," Manfred said. "There are other viable alternatives that I haven't turned the A's loose to even explore at this point."
The A’s have called the Coliseum home since 1968, but the venue has begun to show its age in recent years with plumbing problems and deterioration. Now, the city of Oakland will decide whether or not to accept the team’s proposal for a waterfront stadium. Part of the A’s plan would be to privately pay the $1 billion cost for this new waterfront location.
Should Oakland reject the proposal, it looks like there’s a good chance the new location could be Las Vegas.
"So we're gonna know one way or the other what's gonna happen in Oakland in the next couple months," Manfred said. "If you can't get a ballpark, I think the relocation process, whether it's Las Vegas or a broader array of cities that get considered, is gonna take on more pace."
Lucy is a sports betting content producer with Audacy and BetQL. She has worked with WEEI and Audacy as a writer, radio producer and podcaster. Lucy lives in Boston and loves Tom Brady and prop bets. Follow Lucy on Twitter at @LucilleBurdge.
