SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 19, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The current and future homes of the Salt Lake Bees are being considered as a possible places for the Oakland Athletics to play prior to their move to Las Vegas.
A’s owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval have been making site visits this week to figure out where the team will play when their lease at Oakland Coliseum ends following the 2024 MLB season, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Friday.
A’s officials were expected to visit the Bees current home, Smith’s Ballpark, as well as Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, where the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats play.
Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Co., confirmed the Salt Lake City visit on social media Friday.
“We have been in regular contact with the Athletics. We hosted team officials on Thursday, and demonstrated we can accommodate their ballpark needs,” Starks said. “Our organization and the state are excited and able to welcome the Athletics until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed.”
Starks also touted the future home of the Salt Lake Bees in South Jordan’s Daybreak community as a possible destination for the A’s when it opens in 2025.
“This new ballpark will support the A’s needs and has been the focus of their interest,” he said, noting the ballpark will anchor a sports and entertainment district in Daybreak. “It will include breathtaking views of the field and the Wasatch Mountains, is easily accessible from Mountain View Corridor and TRAX, and is in the fastest-growing part of Salt Lake County. Our unique, two-stadium solution would ensure that baseball stays in the Salt Lake market as the Salt Lake Bees return to Smith’s Ballpark for additional seasons.”
Other possible temporary homes for the A’s include Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Triple-A Aviators; the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park; and the Triple-A Reno Aces’ Greater Nevada Field, according to the report.
Any temporary move would need to be approved by the MLB and MLB Players Association.
The A’s are expected to move into their $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat Las Vegas ballpark in 2028. The ballpark is scheduled to be built on 9 acres of the 35-acre Tropicana hotel site.
The Nevada Legislature last summer approved up to $380 million in public funds for the MLB ballpark.
