MLB owners unanimously approve Athletics' move to Las Vegas

It appears the stage is set for the Oakland Athletics to make their much-anticipated move to Las Vegas.

All 30 Major League Baseball owners unanimously voted to approve Oakland's move to Las Vegas, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

"Today is an incredibly difficult day for Oakland A's fans," Athletics owner John Fisher said, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. "It's a great day for Las Vegas."

The Athletics' lease at the Oakland Coliseum is scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.

"I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said, according to The Athletic's Evan Drellich. "I understand that. That's why we always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation, and I truly believe we did that in this case."

"I think it's beyond debate that the status quo in Oakland was untenable. ... I am absolutely convinced there was not a viable path forward," Manfred added.

The team could sign a short-term lease to remain at the Coliseum, play games at Oracle Park in San Francisco, or play at Triple-A stadiums in Sacramento or Las Vegas until the new $1.5-billion Las Vegas stadium is ready - which is expected to be before the 2028 season, according to Shaikin.

"We're exploring a variety of alternatives, including staying at the Coliseum for the remaining years in the interim," Manfred said, according to Drellich.

Mayor Sheng Thao says she believes there's still a future for baseball in Oakland despite the Athletics set to leave the city.

"We are disappointed by the outcome of this vote," Thao said in a statement, per Shaikin. "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 there are a number of unresolved issues surrounding his move. I have also made it clear to the commissioner that the A's branding and name should stay in Oakland, and we will work to continue to pursue expansion opportunities. Baseball has a home in Oakland, even if the A's ownership relocates."

There are legal challenges from a teachers' union in Nevada regarding $380 million the state has committed to the construction of the stadium, which could still threaten the move, according to Passan.

"This is going to be so damaging to the city of Oakland," Oakland native and former Athletics pitcher Dave Stewart told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "The city of Oakland is in pretty bad shape economically with the crime (and) homelessness. They needed an economic driver like the A's. I saw the (Oakland) Raiders leave and the (Golden State) Warriors leave, but I thought the A's would be there forever."

The Athletics' move would be the first in MLB since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., to become the Nationals before the 2005 season.