By American professional sports standards, Major League Baseball is easily the quietest league for relocations. The latest relocation happened in 2004 with the Expos moving to D.C., and before that, it had been three decades without a big-league relocation.
But that streak could end soon.
A Tuesday report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed that MLB gave the Oakland Athletics the green light to explore possible relocation options should the proposed waterfront ballpark project at Howard Terminal fall through.
Though the A’s undoubtedly prefer to stay in Oakland, a relocation isn’t being ruled out if the privately funded stadium doesn’t happen (the proposal did ask for a $855 million infrastructure commitment from the city). They’re the final remaining major pro sports team in the Oakland city limits following the Warriors’ departure to San Francisco and the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas.
If that move does happen, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has already floated three cities as relocation candidates.
