Manfred: A’s Fate In Oakland To Be Decided In Coming Months

DENVER (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says the fate of the Athletics in Oakland will be determined in the next few months.

The commissioner spoke about the fate of the A’s on the day of the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.

A’s owners have proposed a new ballpark in the Howard Terminal area of Oakland, and Manfred said if the stadium project is not approved, the team would move forward with either a move to Las Vegas or a wider relocation search.

“Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club, and there are other viable alternatives that I haven’t turned the A’s loose to even explore at this point,” Manfred told members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday, July 13.

"Thinking about this as a bluff is a mistake."

Rob Manfred had plenty to say today regarding the A's future in Oakland and a possible relocation to Las Vegas https://t.co/Hi73CnE4M4 pic.twitter.com/kllvQ73eQF

— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 13, 2021

Manfred says “The Oakland process is at an end” and adds “This is the decision point for Oakland as whether they want to have Major League Baseball going forward.”

“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.”