Report: MLB players’ union chief Tony Clark says A’s deal ‘needs to get done’
Feb 21, 2024, 11:27 AM
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Tony Clark, Executive Director of MLB Players Association, looks on prior to Game One of the World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on October 27, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
It sounds like Major League Baseball’s Players Association is getting tired of the uncertainty surrounding where the Oakland Athletics will play after this season.
The A’s have one more year on their lease at the Coliseum. And the earliest a Las Vegas ballpark could be 2028. So there are three seasons where the team’s home is up in the air.
READ MORE FROM SACTOWN SPORTS: Everything that’s been reported about the A’s relocation since Friday
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, MLBPA chief Tony Clark said a deal for a temporary home “needs to get done.”
“You would think there would be more control over the decisions that are made here. But unfortunately, it has dragged on to where questions remain. I remain hopeful that sooner rather than later something a little more concrete comes to fruition so we can have some conversations at that point in time with the league as opposed to wondering what next year or the next two years or perhaps even the next three years are going to look like.”
Any temporary locations — whether it’s in Sacramento, Salt Lake City or back in Oakland — would need to be approved by the player’s association. Major League Baseball’s schedule is typically released in July, but an early draft is shown to teams months earlier.
A former player, Tony Clark has held the position of MLBPA chief since 2013.
How did the A’s get here?
Last November, Major League Baseball unanimously approved the Athletics relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. The team plans to build a $1.5 billion, nine-acre stadium where the Tropicana Hotel currently stands. The ballpark, which was granted $380 in public funding for construction in the summer of 2023, could open as early as 2028 if everything goes according to plan.
When does MLB Spring Training start?
Both the Giants and A’s hit the fields on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Athletics face off against the Colorado Rockies and the Giants take on the Chicago Cubs.
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
