Odds on relocation cities as Oakland A’s announce they will begin looking at other markets

The Oakland Athletics have spent the better part of two decades trying to get a new stadium built in the Bay Area, and those efforts might be coming to an end. The team announced on Tuesday that “Major League Baseball instructed the A’s to begin to explore other markets while [they] continue to pursue the Oakland waterfront ballpark project.”

We could spend days talking about stadium politics and how much of the blame belongs on the A’s ownership (a lot). Let’s instead focus on something a little more concrete — where might the A’s relocate to if they can’t get a stadium built in Oakland. As a long-time A’s fan and one-time team employee — I was an accountant in the front office for four years — it’s a lot easier just assuming a stadium will not get built in the Bay Area.

We’ve already started to hear some of the usual suspects pop up in discussions about the A’s next home. Las Vegas and Portland are popular mentions, as are Montreal, Nashville, and Charlotte. DraftKings Sportsbook will not be taking wagers on the A’s eventual home, but we’ve got a look at some hypothetical odds for the team’s next landing spot.

It’s not surprising Las Vegas is the favorite. After years of pro sports leagues pretending Las Vegas was something to pretend did not exist, the growing legalization of sports betting in America has resulted in extensive momentum for the city. The NHL was the first to dive in, opening up an expansion franchise with the Golden Knights. That actually happened before the repeal of PASPA in 2018, and increased legalization has only further convinced leagues to invest.

The Raiders moved from Oakland, so I don’t think anybody would be shocked to see the A’s follow suit. The city hosts the Triple-A Aviators at a new minor league stadium. There is some speculation the stadium could be expanded to major league capacity, but I suspect we’d see the city attempt to build another stadium. Considering the money the city and county was willing to fork over to get the Raiders a new stadium, I have no doubt they’d do similar if the A’s legitimately wanted to move there.

Montreal will get some chatter, but there is some speculation that the Tampa Bay Rays will end up there. Portland has long been discussed as a relocation option. Nashville and Charlotte both host Triple-A teams while Vancouver hosts a High-A team. Mexico City would also make some sense as MLB looks at international expansion.

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