Oakland A's Relocation: Sacramento's Sutter Health Park set to host franchise for next 3 seasons ahead of Las Vegas move

After months of hanging in flux, Oakland Athletics fans finally have some clarity. According to an official team memo, it has been determined that the A's will relocate to Sacramento to start next season.

Their new venue will be Sutter Health Park, the 14,000-seat home venue of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. While the A's ownership has already greenlighted a move to Las Vegas, the new stadium in the desert is not expected to be completed until at least 2028.

To complicate matters further, the Athletics' lease for the Oakland Coliseum is set to expire at the end of the season.

"Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento will host the A's during the 2025-27 seasons ahead of the their move to Las Vegas in 2028, the team announced" - FOX Sports: MLB

The news was first broken by the NBA's Sacramento Kings, who have a majority stake in the River Cats.

Under the terms of the deal, the Oakland Athletics will play in the California State Capital from 2025 until 2027, with an option existing for a fourth season if the Vegas relocation is still not feasible by then.

Plans to move the team from the Bay Area has outraged the A's fanbase. During the team's first game of the 2024 season against the Cleveland Guardians, thousands of fans gathered in the parking lot to protest the ownership of John Fisher, who's largely seen as the architect of the plan to relocate.

"The Oakland Athletics will be playing in Sacramento from 2025-27 with an option for 2028. They're planning on this being their last season in Oakland (via @EvanDrellich)" - Talkin' Baseball

Consistently ranked as one of the worst stadiums in MLB, it's more than the ending of the lease that's contributing to the move. Derelict and neglected, the Oakland Coliseum has not been renovated for decades and is apparently infested with stray cats and possums.

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Oakland Athletics ownership still sees Las Vegas as ultimate destination

The Sutter Health Park has hosted the Triple-A River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, since 2000.

While the amenities exist to play MLB baseball in Sacramento, it is clear that A's ownership sees Vegas as the ultimate place to go. According to John Fisher's words in the official announcement:

"We look forward to making Sutter Health Park our home through our move to Las Vegas. We extend our appreciation to the Kings and the City of West Sacramento for hosting the A's as we work to complete our park in Las Vegas"