MLB commissioner explains the requirements for the Athletics move
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred explained the requirements for Major League Baseball to approve the Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas.
Everything indicates that the move of the Athletics from Oakland to Las Vegas may be inevitable after Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo approved the use of public money to build the team’s new stadium.
With fans loudly recriminating the Athletics and even some of MLB’s biggest stars voicing their opposition to the move, MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, decided to weigh in and explain the requirements for Major League Baseball to approve the move. The commissioner spoke to the media at the end of the MLB owners’ meeting in New York and he was crystal clear about the process that the Athletics need to follow to move to Sin City.
“They have to apply, they are rigorous requirements,” Manfred said. “You should talk about the market you leave and the efforts you put into it; the market you are going to and why it is better”.
"Afterwards, the relocation committee must review the application and make recommendations on the territory, the television agreements," the commissioner continued. "Those recommendations come to me, they go to the executive council, and then you need three-quarters of the MLB teams to vote in favor of it."
If the move is confirmed, the Athletics would see their fourth home since the founding of the franchise. Originally in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1905, then they spent 13 years in Kansas City, before heading out west to Oakland in 1968.
Manfred is sorry for the fans in Oakland
The commissioner stated that MLB’s preference has always been for the team to remain in Oakland, but he is aware that the A’s have failed to reach an agreement with the city to build a new stadium over recent years.
“I’m sorry for the Oakland fans; I don’t like this result. I understand how they feel,” Manfred said. “The question is what was Oakland willing to do? There was no offer from Oakland, it never got to the point where they planned to build a new stadium.”
Since 2000, the A’s have thrice announced that they would build a new stadium, but it never happened. In 2006 they planned to move to Fremont, in 2012 to San José and in 2018 to the port area of the city.