Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao responds to MLB approving A’s relocation to Las Vegas

Major League Baseball’s team owners voted Thursday morning to approve the A’s move from Oakland to Las Vegas, with a proposed stadium expected to be built for the 2028 season.

Below is Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s statement in response to the vote:

We are disappointed by the outcome of this vote. But we do not see this as the end of the road. We all know there is a long way to go before shovels in the ground and that there area a number of unresolved issues surrounding this move. I have also made it clear to the Commissioner [Rob Manfred] that the A’s branding and name should stay in Oakland and we will continue to work to pursue expansion opportunities. Baseball has a home in Oakland even if the A’s ownership relocates.

East Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), who has pushed for the A’s to stay, also released a statement:

It’s incredibly disappointing, but not surprising that a group of billionaire owners supported another billionaire owner’s efforts to line his own pockets at the expense of a passionate community and fan base. The East Bay does not deserve to lose its last professional sports team. It’s shameful.

But there is a long way to go before there are shovels in the ground in Vegas. I’m going to keep working to hold MLB and its team owners accountable for prioritizing their pockets over the communities that have supported them. Baseball belongs in the East Bay. The A’s will always be #RootedinOakland, even if John Fisher decides to take his business elsewhere.