Athletics

The Oakland City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 with one abstention in favor of a nonbinding term sheet for a $12 billion development at Howard Terminal that would include a $1 billion stadium for the Oakland Athletics.

However, Athletics president Dave Kaval said the term sheet "is not a business partnership that works for us," per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.

Kaval said during the session:

There has been progress in the negotiation. We've moved and made concessions, the city's made concessions, but I think it is important to remember that the current term sheet, even with these amendments, is not something that the A's have consensus around. It's not a term sheet that we proposed, with edits that we have come together in mutual agreement, and I just really wanna stress that voting 'yes' on something that we don't agree with, or that we don't have consensus around, is not an effective path forward. And so I really wanna work with the council to see how we can get something that we agree to vote on before the [summer] recess, as opposed to voting on something that doesn't work for our side.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement following the news, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:

Gonzalez noted the biggest roadblock is that the A's would have to make a $352 million payment for "off-site transportation improvements and infrastructure upgrades that the city did not agree to subsidize by creating a second financing district at Jack London Square."

City official Elizabeth Lake said the team would be reimbursed through local, state, federal and regional funds.

Per NBC Bay Area, the proposed development includes a ballpark with seating for 35,000, 3,000 residential units, commercial space (1.5 million square feet), retail space (270,000 square feet) and 18.3 acres of public parks.

The ballpark wouldn't be ready until at least 2027, per Gonzalez, and the team's lease with Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 campaign.

So, the term sheet may have been approved, but as Alex Shultz of SFGate wrote, that "doesn't mean the development is anywhere near a certainty."

That leaves other options on the table, and the Athletics have notably explored a move to Las Vegas.

Per Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kaval and a team architect will be in the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday and Thursday to explore sites for a $1 billion stadium.

If such a move comes to fruition, the A's would follow in the footsteps of the NFL's Raiders, who made the same relocation prior to the 2020 season.

Extended homestands are reportedly costing players on the Stockton Ports more money than they are bringing in on their bimonthly paychecks.

According to Alex Shultz of SF Gate, players on the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics pay more in team hotel charges during two-week stretches than they bring in on those paychecks due to a number of circumstances.

While the organization covers hotel fees when the team is on the road and provides per-diem money for food, that does not happen for home games. While many minor league players typically rely on the generosity of host families to help alleviate the housing concerns, Stockton players have not been given that option this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, the Athletics offered a slightly discounted rate at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton.

That has been where most players stay because of how expensive or difficult it is to rent an apartment for just the summer. So longer homestands mean lost money even though, as Schultz pointed out, Forbes values Athletics owner John Fisher as worth more than $3 billion.

"The cost of housing has been a significant issue for players in almost every single MLB organization this year," executive director of MiLB Advocates Harry Marino said. "We've heard from more than a few players who are taking home less than $100 for a two-week pay period once they subtract the cost of housing from their paycheck. But this situation—where players literally lost money on housing alone—takes the minor league housing crisis to an extreme. It is unacceptable and needs to be addressed."

In June, the Twitter account Advocates for Minor Leaguers noted some members of the Bowie Baysox thought about sleeping in their cars to avoid similar concerns:

The Baysox are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

This also isn't the first concern arising from the Athletics organization, as the same account highlighted some of the lackluster meals provided to players:

The working conditions for minor leaguers has been a concern for some time at this point, and Major League Baseball and its players association may have the opportunity to address it after the current collective bargaining agreement expires prior to the 2022 campaign.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred cautioned against not taking the possibility of relocation for the Oakland Athletics seriously amid the franchise's ongoing struggle to get a new stadium in the Bay Area.

"Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club, and there are other viable alternatives I have not turned the A’s loose to explore," he told reporters.

Manfred added that "thinking of this as a bluff is a mistake."

In May, the A's shared a statement from MLB in which the league expressed its "concern with the rate of progress on the A's new ballpark effort with local officials and other stakeholders in Oakland."

Team president Dave Kaval also shared an open letter to confirm that MLB "instructed the A's to begin to explore other markets while we continue to pursue the Oakland waterfront ballpark project."

The A's are attempting to see through a plan to construct a new ballpark and a combination of residential and commercial developments at Howard Terminal. The stadium, which would seat around 34,000, would be privately financed.

However, the Bay Area News Group's Shayna Rubin wrote that the amount for the entire project comes in at $12 billion. The city of Oakland would have to commit $855 million for "infrastructure improvements."

Justin Berton, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, said in April the proposal "appears to request public investment at the high end for projects of this type nationwide."

Last week, city administrators provided a report in response to the Howard Terminal plan. Under the terms, the tax burden on the city would be slightly lesser, and the A's would commit to not relocating for a period of 45 years.

Athletics officials haven't been shy about pursuing a possible move to Las Vegas, with Kaval visiting the city earlier this month.

"We’re just getting so much positive feedback in Southern Nevada and Las Vegas from all the key constituents and stakeholders," he told reporters. "We’ve been very impressed with the can-do spirit and the interest in Major League Baseball here, and we remain committed to taking additional steps to see if that might be the option or the future home of the A’s."

The Oakland City Council will weigh in on the Howard Terminal stadium on July 20, and their decision could go some way toward achieving a resolution.

Oakland Athletics slugger Matt Olson announced Tuesday he would be participating in this year's Home Run Derby.

The annual event will take place on Monday, July 12, at Coors Field in Denver and broadcast on ESPN. 

The other confirmed participants are Los Angeles Angels multipositional superstar Shohei Ohtani, New York Mets reigning Derby champ Pete Alonso, Colorado Rockies slugger Trevor Story, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini and Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. 

Olson, 27, is having a monster season for the Athletics, hitting .282 with 20 homers, 53 RBI, 51 runs and a .923 OPS. He was named to his first All-Star team for his efforts.

"Definitely something you dream about as a little kid, being in the All-Star Game one day," he told reporters Sunday. "It's a special moment, I think you guys know I'm kind of a win-first guy and let everything else fall into place. I do truly believe that."

"It's going to be cool to have this moment and reflect back on it," he added.

It's no surprise that he's registering major power numbers—before 2020's shortened season, he had posted three straight years with 24 or more home runs, including a career-high 36 in 2019. He's currently on pace to break that mark. 

He's also no slouch in the field, with two Gold Gloves to his name. But it's his power numbers that have made him both an All-Star and a participant in this year's Home Run Derby.

Should the Colorado Rockies move star shortstop Trevor Story ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics may not be in the mix.

ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote the A's are "most obvious fit" but reported they "are unlikely to play in the Story market." He added Oakland may prefer to address the outfield to prepare for the stretch run.

Story is due to hit free agency after this season, and the likelihood that he'll stay in Colorado seems slim. The Rockies are fourth in the National League West at 33-47, and the trade of Nolan Arenado was emblematic of the dysfunction that's plagued the franchise for years. 

If Colorado was willing to move on from Arenado, one of the best players in team history, then it would be surprising to see the front office give Story a big contract.

Passan, however, noted the Rockies may not have a robust market for the 28-year-old. His impending free agency limits the potential suitors to teams in contention for the playoffs. The clubs with the best chance of reaching the postseason by and large don't need to make a big upgrade at shortstop.

The A's would seem to be an outlier in that regard.

They're 1.5 games back of the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West, so they tick the box as a contending team. And Oakland could use help on the left side of the infield.

Elvis Andrus has a .226/.295/.563 slash line, and he ranks 26th among qualified shortstops in WAR (minus-0.2), per FanGraphs.

Story, by comparison, is slugging .446 with nine home runs and 36 RBI. HIs .184 batting average on the road this year may lead Oakland and others to question his value away from Coors Field, though. He also has a noticeable home (.982) and road (.750) split in OPS over his career, per Baseball Reference.

Still, the non-Coors Field version of Story would be better offensively than Andrus.

Yet the Athletics appear to be out on the two-time All-Star, which raises the odds the Rockies will watch a valuable trade asset yield only a compensation pick in the offseason.

As they try to hold off the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West, the Oakland Athletics could look to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline by adding an All-Star shortstop. 

Per MLB.com's Jon Morosi, Oakland is among the teams that will be keeping an eye on Story's production and availability when he returns from the injured list. 

Story was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 29 with right elbow inflammation. 

Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Tuesday that the two-time Silver Slugger winner's MRI came back clean, and they are hopeful he can be activated in time for their June 8 game against the Miami Marlins. 

Oakland currently has a one-game lead over the Astros in the AL West. The A's rank 14th in MLB with 249 runs scored, are tied for 15th in on-base percentage (.313) and are tied for 22nd in batting average (.229). 

Elvis Andrus, the A's starting shortstop, is hitting .211/.259/.269 with zero home runs and seven RBI in 175 at-bats. 

Story was off to a slow start this season prior to his elbow injury, but his .255/.322/.424 slash line would be significantly better for the A's than what Andrus has provided. The 28-year-old has been one of the best hitting shortstops in MLB with a .909 OPS over the previous three seasons. 

The Rockies figure to be sellers at the trade deadline. Their 23-34 record ranks fourth in the National League West and 10.5 games out of a playoff spot. 

Story is in the final season of a two-year contract and will be eligible for free agency this offseason. 

Two photos showing meals served to minor league players in the Oakland Athletics' farm system caught the attention of baseball Twitter on Monday as fans and observers ridiculed the offerings. 

The original tweet, posted by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, shows players being served minuscule amounts of food and calls out the A's for mistreating their employees:

A's president Dave Kaval responded on Twitter saying the offerings were served "several weeks ago" and the team has since terminated its contract with the third-party vendor. Kaval called the situation "totally unacceptable." 

This is far from the first time minor leaguers have taken to social media to highlight the poor playing and living conditions they're subjected to without ever knowing if they'll make it to the big leagues. 

In 2018, then-Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Passan dug into the way players on the farm have tried to bring attention to their environment by looking into the Instagram account Minor League Grinders, which posts numerous examples every day. 

“That’s the big debate,” Blake McFarland, who started the account, told Passan. “We’re playing something we love to play. We’d rather be nowhere else. At the same time, changes do have to be made. All my friends who have real jobs, if you were to tell them how you live, it doesn’t relate to any other job. You’re not treated as an employee. With that being said, everyone loves playing. We play for the dream.”

Apparently for A's players, that dream included two pieces of white bread with American cheese and a slice of tomato on one day, and a rolled-up tortilla with a few peppers on another. Neither option appears too desirable. 

Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, president Dave Kaval, vice president Billy Beane and executive Sandy Dean will reportedly make an official visit to Portland, Oregon, next month on a "fact-finding" mission, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian. 

The organization is also visiting Las Vegas this week as it considers potential relocation. 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is rooting for the Athletics to relocate to Portland: 

It might seem a bit odd that Wilson—who professionally represents a city that was devastated by the Seattle Supersonics' relocation to Oklahoma City, where they became the Thunder—would stump for Oakland to lose its baseball team.  

But Wilson and his wife Ciara are part of an investment team trying to bring baseball to Portland, which explains his interest in the Athletics' potential relocation.

And it appears there is real interest between the city of Portland and the Athletics organization.

“PDP can confirm that we have engaged in talks with the Athletics, and plans for a visit by team officials are underway," Portland Diamond Project found Craig Cheek and managing partner Mike Barrett told Canzano in a statement Monday. “PDP will have no further comment at this time.”

Las Vegas, which recently plucked the Raiders out of Oakland, will be a formidable foe for Portland. And there is always the possibility that the Athletics will work out a deal with the city of Oakland on a new ballpark. 

Until that happens, though—and it remains a major point of contention whether cities and taxpayers actually financially benefit from investing heavily in stadium projects—the Athletics will court new locations.

"The future success of the A's depends on a new ballpark," Fisher said in a statement earlier in May. "Oakland is a great baseball town, and we will continue to pursue our waterfront ballpark project. We will also follow MLB's direction to explore other markets."

The Oakland Athletics reportedly had MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on their side when it came to pursuing a new ballpark, according to Alex Coffey of The Athletic. 

He was willing to "put public pressure on the city" if progress between the city of Oakland and the Athletics franchise were to hit a stalemate. 

Per Coffey, Manfred's offer dated back to 2017. 

The A's, who have played in the city since 1968, have been focused on building a new stadium on the waterfront at Howard Terminal. But the city hasn't voted on its $12 billion proposal, and the team is considering relocating, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, British Columbia; Montreal; and Charlotte, North Carolina, have been proposed as locations.

"The future success of the A's depends on a new ballpark," A's owner John Fisher said in a statement Tuesday. "Oakland is a great baseball town, and we will continue to pursue our waterfront ballpark project. We will also follow MLB's direction to explore other markets."

According to A's president Dave Kaval, via Coffey and colleague Steve Berman, the team was planning to move into the new stadium in Oakland by the 2023 season. Per their report, the Howard Terminal project was the only one submitted under the required guidelines in 2019 that was not approved within the calendar year. 

"We had a timeline before where we really felt strongly we could open by 2023. Obviously that’s not going to happen," Kaval told The Athletic in February. "And when people ask me, ‘Hey what is the new timeline?’ All I can say is we don’t know right now."

The city told the team in February that the proposed new park would not open until 2027. The club's lease on the Oakland Coliseum is up in 2024. 

"It doesn’t mean we’ve given up, but it means that we need to keep our options open, because the franchise does need a new ballpark," Kaval said. "We can’t get around that fact, that’s a fundamental thing in the way, and we just don’t have that right now in Oakland."

The Oakland Athletics "will start exploring the possibility of relocating with the blessing of Major League Baseball" because of difficulties in getting a new stadium in Oakland, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The A's have a lease at Oakland Coliseum through 2024. Passan shared a statement from MLB in which it said the venue's site "is not a viable option for the future vision of baseball."

The team provided MLB's full statement:

A's president Dave Kaval also addressed the situation:

The Oakland Raiders relocated to Las Vegas last year, and Passan reported that might be the "likeliest possibility" for the A's as well. He included a list of additional possibilities that Commissioner Rob Manfred has mentioned: Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, British Columbia; Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Montreal.

The need for a new stadium is understandable. The Coliseum is 55 years old, tying it with Angel Stadium as the fourth-oldest in MLB. It doesn't have the charm of Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, and it has structural issues that surface every so often.

The problem is finding a new home for the A's. The Golden State Warriors also recently moved from Oakland but had difficulties in getting San Francisco's Chase Center built.

A's ownership is pursuing a plan in which a 35,000-seat stadium would be part of a larger development at the Port of Oakland's Howard Terminal.

The organization touts the stadium as privately financed, but the price tag would come to $12 billion, per the Bay Area News Group's Shayna Rubin. Sarah Ravani of the San Francisco Chronicle explained $855 million in tax revenue was projected to go toward infrastructure upgrades around the site. And that's only a small sample of costs to taxpayers.

Ravani also wrote that environmental groups didn't believe their concerns about air and water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, the handling of hazardous materials at the site, transportation and other issues had been fully addressed.

It's not uncommon for MLB teams to use the idea of relocation as leverage for stadium upgrades or new stadiums.

In December, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, "There's no plan B right now" with regard to a proposal wherein the Rays would split their time between Florida and Montreal.

In the event the A's are unable to make progress with the Howard Terminal site, this certainly won't be the last time they publicly float the idea of leaving Oakland.