The Oakland Athletics may not be called the Oakland Athletics for much longer.
That’s at least what MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is predicting.
After years of speculation that the A’s may be on their way out and headed for Las Vegas, Manfred stated that he did not believe that the team would be staying in Oakland.
“It just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen,” said Manfred.
After three straight postseason appearances, the A’s have fallen on hard times, having traded away players such as Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Sean Manaea.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to provide the news.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says that the Oakland Athletics will likely move to Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/2OMF2hlAUe
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2022
Bad News For A’s Fans
This obviously does not bode well for fans in Oakland.
The team has fallen apart over the past several years and has been unable to attract a decent number of fans.
All across the Oakland Coliseum, empty seats can be seen during ballgames.
The A’s, a small market team, have traded away several of their assets and have become the laughingstock of the American League West.
Naturally, it’s going to be hard to draw a decent crowd as a result of that.
Oakland finished with a 60-102 record, the worst in the American League and second worst in all of baseball behind the Washington Nationals, who finished 55-107.
Manfred went on to say that he believes the Tampa Bay Rays will ultimately stay put and end up with a new ballpark in Tampa.
For the A’s however, Manfred does not appear to be terribly optimistic.
