SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) - The Oakland A's are looking for a place to play from 2025 to 2027, and Utah officials is ready to take them on, but not in Salt Lake City.
Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group and of Big League Utah, posted on social media that Utah officials met with the A's top brass on Thursday, and they are ready to host the team for three seasons if needed at the new Salt Lake Bees stadium in Daybreak.
Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City was initially believed to be the target of the A's, but Starks said the A's are concentrating on the new Bees stadium in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley, which is set to open in 2025.
"We have been in regular contact with the Athletics," Starks posted. "We hosted team officials on Thursday, and demonstrated we can accommodate their ballpark needs. Our organization and the state are excited and able to welcome the Athletics until their new stadium in Las Vegas is completed. In addition to Smith’s Ballpark, we will have a new ballpark opening in 2025 in Downtown Daybreak, South Jordan, anchoring a sports and entertainment district that features first-class player and fan amenities. This new ballpark will support the A’s needs and has been the focus of their interest. 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."
The A's are moving to Las Vegas, but that stadium will not be ready until 2028. The A's lease with the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season, so the team is looking for a place to play for three seasons.
The A's are also considering San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno as potential homes.
The Miller Family is hoping to entice an expansion MLB team to come to Utah in the near future, and having the A's play at the Salt Lake Bees news stadium in Daybreak would prove to be a great trial run.
The new Bees stadium is set to hold 7.500 fans, but Starks said there could be an expansion play to hold up to 11,000 fans if the A's decide to play there.