In an unforeseen initiative, The Athletics have announced their decision to grace the base of West Sacramento.
The move, a new chapter for the Major League Baseball (MLB) team, comes before an expected move to Las Vegas in 2028.
In a statement made public on a recent Thursday, the Athletics along with the Sacramento Kings – the majority owner of the Sacramento River Cats, jointly announced that Sutter Health Park will act as the hosting ground for the A’s during the 2025 to 2027 MLB seasons.
The A's are moving to Sacramento from 2025-27, with an option to play there a 4th year, according to an announcement. They're planning to be done in Oakland after this season, their 57th in the city. pic.twitter.com/ARVKmZa6TS
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) April 4, 2024
This move comes as a milestone, serving as a prequel for their long-awaited shift to Las Vegas in 2028.
Moreover, according to prominent sports journalist Jeff Passan of ESPN, with the addition of grass outfield seats, the capacity at Sutter Health Park could surge to a staggering 14,000 fans.
The A's plan to move to Sacramento for the 2025-27 seasons, with an option to play there in 2028 as well, the team announced. They will play in Sutter Health Park — just over 10,000 seats, with grass outfield seats to increase capacity to 14,000 — for at least three seasons.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 4, 2024
This puts to rest the A’s current average of just over 6,000 fans per game at their existing Oakland home.
The Nationals had more fans at their home opener than the Athletics in all 6 of their home games 😭
(🎥: @GreekGodOfHops) pic.twitter.com/hxYgpA0LlV
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 3, 2024
Prior to this announcement, there was much speculation about where the A’s were expected to play post 2025.
With their lease with Coliseum set to end after this season, the question stood – where next for the A’s?
The A’s Owner and Managing Partner, John Fisher, published a statement that addressed their future plans in light of the recent announcement.
Fisher stated, “We explored several locations for a temporary home, including the Oakland Coliseum. Even with the long-standing relationship and good intentions on all sides in the negotiations with Oakland, the conditions to achieve an agreement seemed out of reach. We understand the disappointment this news brings to our fans, as this season marks our final one in Oakland. Throughout this season, we will honor and celebrate our time in Oakland, and will share additional details soon.
We extend our appreciation to the Kings and the City of West Sacramento, and look forward to making Sutter Health Park our home until our new ballpark opens in Las Vegas.”
Jason Mastrodonato, from the San Jose Mercury News, reported that a spokesperson for the city of Oakland confirmed the city has brought down its demands.
They no longer require a guarantee of an MLB team expansion or for the A’s to leave their name and colors behind for a lease extension.
