The Athletics might have a future in Oakland after all. Albeit a temporary one.
ESPN's Tim Keown reported, according to a document obtained by the network and KGO in San Francisco, that the city of Oakland will present A's ownership with an offer to extend the team's Coliseum lease past the 2024 MLB season.
According to the document, the offer is for five years with an opt-out after the third year and requires the A's to pay a $97 million "extension fee," which will be owed by the team even if the opt-out is exercised, and reportedly will pay off the $170 million structural deficit at the Coliseum. The organization also is being asked to cover the costs of switching over the playing field to accommodate the Oakland Roots SC and also sell the 50 percent share of its ownership in the Coliseum.
The city of Oakland also reportedly dropped previous requirements that called for MLB to keep the A's name and colors in Oakland, as well as the demand that the league guarantee the city a future expansion team.
"We are very interested in doing business, and in having the A's stay in Oakland," Leigh Hanson, the city's chief of staff told ESPN. "Part of that is helping them solve this interim location challenge and just being clear in what we expect in return."
The city of Oakland and the A's are set to have their third formal meeting on Tuesday, according to ESPN.
The five-year proposal, with an opt-out after the third year, reportedly is designed to "safeguard" the city in case there are delays with the construction of the organization's proposed Las Vegas ballpark, which the team hopes to complete in time for the 2028 season, or if the relocation falls through altogether.
"I remain committed to doing everything in my power to keep the A's in Oakland," Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said in a statement to ESPN. "The terms we have proposed for a lease extension at the Coliseum are clear, reasonable and achievable. Having Major League Baseball in Oakland is what is best for the owners, the league, the players and most importantly, the fans."
The A's, according to ESPN, also have been in negotiations with Sacramento and Salt Lake City as host cities for potential temporary homes, with the idea of a three-year stint in Sacramento reportedly gaining traction in recent weeks.Sources also told ESPN that the A's, who currently pay $1.5 million in rent to play at the Coliseum, proposed to the city of Oakland a two-year deal with payments of $7 and $10 million over the course of the lease, with the expectation they will have other temporary options for the 2027 season.
It remains to be seen if the A's will accept the city's deal or return to the negotiating table with Oakland or one of the other potential cities.
"The city is putting forward a very reasonable deal," Hanson told ESPN. "We don't think there's a poison pill in this deal. We feel this is an accomplishable goal, and we are going forward understanding we have a short window to execute."
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