If the A's Las Vegas stadium deal falls through, could Sacramento be considered?
SACRAMENTO – The Oakland A's are on the move – but the question is, to where?
Las Vegas is currently the No. 1 option but has seen some pushback, specifically from Nevada State Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno -- the chair on that chamber's Ways and Means committee.
"She said, 'I am currently a hell no and you need to get me to a yes.' And if she is saying that, other folks are probably thinking along the same lines," said Tabitha Mueller, a reporter with the Nevada Independent.
So if not Sin City, why not Sacramento?
"Sacramento is a better financial deal than Las Vegas, a better team environment, a better fan environment, and a better merchandise and TV environment – and the A's are going to lose money in Las Vegas," said Barry Broome, the CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.
Broome, who has written Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred himself, believes the A's and the league should consider the capital city – with the Railyards in Sacramento and The Bridge District in West Sacramento as two viable options.
"West Sacramento can put together a more aggressive deal together than what Nevada has right now, and the deal in the Railyards is better than the deal in Las Vegas," Broome said.
Nevada Senate Bill 509 – the A's official pitch for up to $380 million in public funding for the ballpark – is currently still in the state senate and needs to be voted on by the senate and the state assembly before it can be signed by Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. But, the deadline to get this all done is Monday when the legislative session concludes.
"The A's have told us if the deal falls through in Vegas, they will hear us out. But we need the MLB commissioner to acknowledge Sacramento as a site," Broome said. "So we are waiting to see if this deal goes through on Monday. If it doesn't, we will have two communities that can present a fantastic case to the A's."
And as for local support?
"I do believe we will get support for Vivek Ranadive. I do believe we can get support from Gov. Newsom," Broome said.
So, the billion-dollar question: Does Vegas have the winning hand, or does Sacramento have a seat at the table?
"I think this likely goes through, but it does depend on those budget negotiations," said Mueller. "And it also depends on lawmakers agreeing to say this meets the specifications we want, to ensure that our community is met in terms of those community benefits."
Broome says if the A's do decide to come to Sacramento, construction can begin almost immediately.
"We will sell that stadium out before there is a shovel in the ground if they just make a commitment to our community," Broome said.
