The Athletics Are Giving Las Vegas A Taste Of Baseball In The Desert

BusinessSportsMoneyThe Athletics Are Giving Las Vegas A Taste Of Baseball In The DesertByDan Freedman,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dan Freedman is lawyer and IBWAA member who writes about baseball.Follow AuthorJun 12, 2026, 09:30am EDTThe Athletics are playing six games in Las Vegas this week - three against the Brewers and three against the Rockies - to drum up fan interest ahead of their move in 2028. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIn November of 2023, MLB approved the Oakland Athletics move to Las Vegas. The state of Nevada was to provide $380 million in construction funding, and John Fisher, the team’s owner, would cover the remainder of the costs of the $1.5 billion stadium to be constructed on the Las Vegas Strip. With the vote, and the decision that 2024 would be the club’s last in Oakland, it was the end of an era that began in 1968, when the team moved from Philadelphia to the East Bay. To rub salt into the wounds of longtime fans, MLB agreed to waive its $300 million relocation fee.When the Athletics’ lease at the Oakland Coliseum expired at the end of the 2024 season, the team moved to the home of the Triple-A River Cats in Sacramento, which will serve as their shared home for at least three years until their new park is built.While in their temporary home at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, the team elected to forego a city name on their uniforms, going by just “A’s” and “Athletics.” But, they did add a “Las Vegas” patch on their sleeves as an indicator and reminder of where they will end up eventually (and to get them about $8.5 million).MORE FOR YOUAfter playing 28 games at Sutter Health this season, the Athletics decided to give their future fans a taste of what is to come. The team is playing six games at the aptly named Las Vegas Park this week, home of the Triple-A Aviators. They played three games against the Milwaukee Brewers and will play three against the Colorado Rockies....