A still follows the Oakland ballpark with an eye on Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics are continuing to pursue a new stadium in the Bay Area, despite baseball commissioner Rob Manfred’s recent concerns about whether a deal will go through there, general manager David Forst said.

A, Forst said at a meeting of baseball general managers, still looking for a new ballpark in Oakland or Las Vegas.

“I’m aware of the commissioner’s comments, obviously,” Forst said, before team president Dave Kaval was the point person on the project. “I know that (Kaval) works tirelessly in both places. We’re just looking forward to having a new playground somewhere.”

After the city of Oakland missed a key deadline last month with the A’s to finalize a deal on the $12 billion Terminal project, Manfred said on a Sirius XM radio show that he doubts a stadium will be built there. U softened his position to some extent during the World Series, but was “concerned about a lack of speed.”

“The speed in Oakland was not fast, number one,” Manfred said on Oct. 31. “We’re in a stadium situation that’s really not acceptable. I mean, we have to do something to change the situation.”

Tuesday’s elections in California and Nevada could affect where further talks go in Oakland and Las Vegas. The A’s have not been satisfied with the terms offered so far in Oakland, and Nevada politicians have shown little interest in offering the money the club is likely to want.

Forst said the topic of the election is “honestly out of my jurisdiction,” adding that Caval and A’s owner John Fisher “have been involved in discussions at that level.”

An A’s spokesman said the club had no comment “at this time”.

The A’s lease at RingCentral Coliseum expires after the 2024 season. The club and Manfred said the old location was not suitable for Major League Baseball.

With Manfred’s permission, the A’s staff began exploring potential stadium options outside of Oakland in May 2021, and so far have only selected Las Vegas as another possible location. Kaval has made numerous trips to Las Vegas to look at potential stadium sites and meet with Southern Nevada officials.

Forst is in Las Vegas this week for GM meetings at a Strip resort not far from where a potential game could be built. When asked what a move to Las Vegas might mean, he didn’t take the bait.

“I could not speak here to the specifics,” Forst. “For me in baseball operations, having a new ballpark has always been a goal. It affects how we operate in baseball operations, how it affects our payroll and our roster. So, here or in Oakland, baseball opponents are just waiting for a new building. “

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