Sacramento making MLB expansion push amid temporary Athletics stay

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The Athletics are temporarily making their home in Sacramento, California, as they await their move to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Athletics have embraced Sacramento, and, in turn, Sacramento has embraced baseball.

Now, West Sacramento’s Mayor Matha Guerroro has announced that the city would like to be part of MLB expansion discussions, per Maury Brown of Forbes.

“This is a defining moment for West Sacramento, and we’re ready,” said Guerrero. “Major League Baseball is already seeing firsthand the passion, energy, and civic pride that exists here. This region offers a practical and achievable path for long-term MLB success, and we have the financial capacity, community support, and clear vision needed to bring Major League Baseball permanently to West Sacramento. We’re built for this. We’re ready. Bring it on.”

A potential site for an MLB stadium would be just south of Sutter Health Park, where the Athletics are currently playing. It would be part of a 50-acre mixed-use development and would require significant investment with a $2 billion price tag. That would be split between public and private investment.

“When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,” said Mark Friedman, founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property and Board Chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. “We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete—and Sacramento is ready to win.”

Now, Friedman and Sacramento need to find a partner to build the stadium and get the team.

“We’re looking for somebody who’s got a billion dollars in liquidity to join us at the table, but we’re not just looking for somebody with money,” said Friedman. “We’re looking for somebody with credibility – somebody who the league wants as a partner, and somebody who is going to be a real good steward of this asset for the community – the local people who will be their partner. We’ve got a great market. We’re the largest market without a team, with the largest TV market without a team.”

The Athletics are averaging over 10,500 tickets sold per night, which is the lowest in the majors, but that is also in a Triple-A stadium, not one with the MLB experience.

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