Latest on Athletics, Oakland Coliseum heading into last year of contract

As the A’s prepare for the final season on their lease at the Oakland Coliseum, it remains unclear where the club will make its home from 2025-27 while waiting for its planned stadium in Las Vegas to be completed. A spokesperson for the A’s recently told Sam Blum of The Athletic that the club is willing to share the Coliseum with a pair of local soccer teams during the 2025 season and that negotiations regarding the Athletics’ short-term future in Oakland are ongoing.

The sides recently had their first meeting regarding extending the club’s stay in Oakland since the A’s announced their plan to relocate to Las Vegas last year. The club has a significant financial incentive to remain in the Bay Area for the 2025-27 campaigns, as staying in their current market would allow them to maintain their current TV deal, which Blum notes the A’s stand to receive $67M annually from. A move to Salt Lake City or Sacramento, the other reported finalists for the A’s temporary home, would give NBC Sports California the ability to drop the deal.

That reality has brought the A’s back to the negotiating table with Oakland and, if the club’s reported willingness to share the stadium is any indication, accept at least some concessions in order to remain in Oakland for three more seasons. While the club has begun to attempt to negotiate a longer stay at their current stadium, it remains unclear how willing the city of Oakland is to compromise. Oakland mayor Sheng Thao has previously indicated that the A’s would not be welcome to remain in the Coliseum temporarily without significant concessions, up to and including the promise of an expansion franchise bringing baseball back to Oakland in the future. Thao’s camp seemingly remained committed to that stance as talks began last week, leaving the A’s odds of securing a temporary lease in Coliseum murky.

More from around the A’s and the city of Oakland…

• MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark recently spoke to reporters, including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, regarding the club’s uncertain future. In his comments, Clark noted that “players had questions” about the future location of the A’s, while adding that “you would like to see come to some higher level of clarity” given the relatively short amount of time until a decision needs to be made. While the club’s lease in Oakland won’t expire until after the 2024 season comes to a close, the ambiguity over the A’s home in 2025 could complicate the creation of next year’s schedule, which Shea notes is meant to be available to teams in May. Once the A’s choose a location for the 2025-27 seasons, the location will require MLBPA approval. For his part, Clark indicated that there “may be things we need to address” regarding the A’s choice for an interim home regardless of whether the A’s remain in Coliseum or move to a minor league facility in Salt Lake City or Sacramento.
• A’s infield prospect Darell Hernaiz figures to be on the big league radar at some point this season after he impressed with a .338/.393/.486 slash line in 71 games at the Double-A level last year before he went on to hold his own with a .300/.376/.418 triple slash in 60 games at the Triple-A level. Hernaiz has played shortstop almost exclusively throughout his professional career, making only brief cameos at second and third base. With the club likely to rely on Nick Allen at shortstop to open the season, however, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com relays that, per manager Mark Kotsay, Hernaiz will get regular reps at third base this spring. The hot corner could provide Hernaiz with a quicker path to the big leagues this season as the A’s are currently without a clear starting option at the position, with Abraham Toro standing as Hernaiz’s primary competition for the third base job to open the season barring any external additions.