THE Oakland Athletics are set to move to Las Vegas in 2028 after MLB owners approved the relocation last week.
Athletics owner John Fisher needed to gain more than 75% consent votes from the owners of the remaining 29 teams, but the vote was reportedly unanimous in his favour.
The proposed new stadium will be on the Las Vegas strip, with $380m in public financing approved by the Nevada government.
Fisher has long sought a move away from Oakland after the local government wouldn’t support the construction of the new stadium in the city.
The A’s current lease on their stadium expires after the 2024 season, and it remains unclear where they will play until their new ballpark opens.
Since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1972, the only other team to relocate has been the Montreal Expos, who became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Athletics fans staged a boycott this season, urging Fisher to sell the team.
Former A’s relief pitcher Trevor May launched an attack on Fisher during his retirement announcement, saying: “Sell the team, dude… Sell it, man.
“Let someone who actually takes pride in the things they own, own something.
“There’s actually people who give a s*** about the game, let them do it.”
Major League Baseball (MLB) is able to control city changes because of the sport’s anti-trust exemption (granted by a 1922 US Supreme Court).
The A’s had the lowest payroll in the MLB last season and finished with a league-worst record of 50 wins and 112 losses.
