Sacramento is preparing to host another season of Major League Baseball, but uncertainty surrounding a potential labor dispute in 2027 has already sparked speculation about how long the Athletics will actually remain in the city.
MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement between owners and players expires after the 2026 season, and many around the sport believe a looming battle over implementing a salary cap could lead to a players’ strike.
That possibility recently became a topic of discussion on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, where hosts Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross debated whether the upcoming season could end up being the final Opening Day for the A’s in Sacramento.
(Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)
Could 2026 be the final season of A’s baseball in Sacramento?
Dave said the thought has been difficult to shake.
“I can’t stop thinking about this. I think it is,” Dave said when asked if this could be the last Opening Day for the A’s in Sacramento.
“I could be wrong. I hope I’m wrong, I really do. But if I am a betting man… I do believe that there will be a baseball strike next year, and I think the vast majority of people close to the situation — that is all they’re saying. It’s not a matter of if there’s a strike. It’s a matter of how long will the strike be?”
A central issue in the next round of labor negotiations is expected to be the possibility of a salary cap — something the players’ union has historically refused to accept. Dave noted that rising payrolls from teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets have shifted some public sentiment toward ownership in the debate.
“To say the words salary cap to the players or the MLB players’ union… It’s like a slur, almost,” Dave said. “That has always been — going back to Marvin Miller and Donald Fehr — a non-negotiable. Don’t even bring it up.”
The A’s are currently playing their home games at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Sacramento River Cats (the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate), while awaiting the construction of their permanent home in Las Vegas.
The planned ballpark, projected to cost roughly $1.5 billion, is currently being built on the former site of Tropicana Las Vegas along the Las Vegas Strip. Current plans call for a roughly 33,000-seat stadium featuring a climate-controlled design and a partially retractable roof, with a target opening in 2028.
Dave said he has heard positive updates about the project’s progress.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“All signs, including the people I talk to in Vegas that have been very outspoken against this, saying, yeah, that stadium is happening — like it’s happening and it’s actually on or ahead of schedule,” Dave said. “There’s way too much committed now. They’re not just moving dirt around. It’s happening.”
Because Sacramento was always expected to be a temporary home for roughly three to four seasons, Dave believes a prolonged work stoppage could open the door for the franchise to relocate earlier than planned.
“I think the A’s are going to play here this year. I think attendance will be fine… probably around 10 or 11,000,” Dave said. “But then I think you’re having a work stoppage, and I think at that point they go, ‘You know what? Let’s just move it a year early.’”
Jason, however, believes the timeline will likely remain intact.
“I’m going to say no, only for this reason,” Ross said. “I go on the three-to-four-year window as well… but I just don’t picture it being the whole year.”
Ross pointed to the lasting impact of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike as a reason the league and players would likely avoid losing an entire season.
“I think there will be some form of stoppage,” Ross said. “I just don’t picture it being the whole year… I think the sport has way too much to lose.”
Check out the full conversation by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
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