A’s eye new Salt Lake City ballpark as interim home before Las Vegas move
A new ballpark under construction in a Salt Lake City suburb has the Oakland Athletics’ interest as they search for a temporary home field before their 2028 Las Vegas relocation.
The Larry H. Miller Company, which owns the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees, is building a new ballpark in South Jordan, Utah. The plans include a sports and entertainment district.
Crews broke ground on the 7,500-capacity stadium in October. It’s expected to be ready for the 2025 baseball season. The A’s lease at Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season.
The tentatively named Bees Ballpark will offer ticket options including open-lawn seating and expanded premium, club and field-level seating. The Bees’ current home, Smith’s Ballpark, opened in 1994.
A’s officials and the Larry H. Miller Co. have been in regular contact. The two sides met in person this week, according to Larry H. Miller Co. CEO Steve Starks. The A’s declined to comment.
“We hosted team officials on Thursday, and demonstrated we can accommodate their ballpark needs,” Starks said in a statement. “Our organization and the state are excited and able to welcome the Athletics until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed.”
Having two ballparks within the same area would allow the A’s and Bees to play at separate facilities until the A’s planned $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat Las Vegas stadium is complete.
“This new ballpark will support the A’s needs and has been the focus of their interest,” Starks said. “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.”
The A’s on Thursday also toured Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.
Also on the A’s short list for potential temporary home fields are their current home, the Oakland Coliseum, the Las Vegas Aviators’ Las Vegas Ballpark, the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Field and the Reno Aces’ Greater Nevada Field.
It seems unlikely the A’s will remain in Oakland past the 2024 MLB season. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao last year noted a list of demands for the city to agree to a lease extension. Among those were MLB promising the city a future expansion team and leaving the A’s brand in Oakland.
The A’s will need to make a decision soon on where they’ll play in 2025. Both MLB and the MLB Players Association will need to approve the A’s temporary home. A plan could include splitting games between multiple markets.
MLB releases the schedule for each baseball season around July, meaning the A’s are on the clock to figure out where they will play between the end of this season and their 2028 Las Vegas debut.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.