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3d ago

A’s Struggle With West Sacramento Ballpark as MLB Considers Bay Area Expansion

Players and union leaders have decried field and clubhouse deficiencies at the interim ballpark; MLB has signaled it will wait for permanent stadiums before finalizing expansion plans.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), President Marc Badain of the Athletics, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, principal owner John Fisher of the Athletics, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill and Clark County (Nev.) Commission Chairman Jim Gibson participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the USD 1.75 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium for MLB's Athletics at Sutter Health Park on June 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred arrives at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Athletics' baseball stadium Monday, June 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 26: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred looks on prior to Game One of the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 26, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) (Bob Levey, Getty Images)

Overview

  • Major League Baseball confirmed the Athletics will play at Sutter Health Park through 2027 with an option for a fourth season in 2028 before moving to a new Las Vegas stadium in 2028.
  • MLB Players’ Association chief Tony Clark and several players publicly criticized the mound, batter’s box and clubhouse access at the temporary West Sacramento facility.
  • MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred described future expansion as an “open book,” inviting proposals from markets including the Bay Area without preset locations.
  • Two franchises—the A’s and the Rays, who are at Steinbrenner Field—are operating in venues that fall short of league standards, prompting MLB to defer expansion until permanent homes are secured.
  • Failed stadium bids in Oakland and San Jose, blocked by local politics and the Giants’ territorial rights, preceded the Athletics’ interim move to West Sacramento.