MLB Player Blasts Relocation: 'Nobody Wants The Las Vegas A's'

The Oakland A's pending move to Las Vegas has been a source of controversy in and around Major League Baseball.

After decades of history in Oakland, team owner John Fisher is moving the team to greener financial pastures, chasing hundreds of millions of dollars of free taxpayer money in the desert. Unsurprisingly, the league's owners unanimously approved the decision that ostensibly increases the overall value of MLB franchises.

READ: MLB OWNERS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE A’S MOVE TO LAS VEGAS

But some players aren't happy with the decision, saying that Fisher is moving the A's to a market where no one's interested in them.

Paul Sewald, the closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks, was interviewed on the Foul Territory TV show, and gave his opinion on the upcoming move. And he's quite solidly not in favor of it. "No one wants the Las Vegas A's," Sewald said. He also believes the team needs to rebrand itself, or remain the Oakland A's.

OAKLAND - Oakland Athletics fans fill RingCentral Coliseum during a reverse boycott game against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 13. (Photo by Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)

Does Sewald Have A Point About The Las Vegas A's?

There's no question that the Oakland Coliseum is an embarrassment. After decades of neglect, the stadium's rapidly falling apart, with leaks, rodents, and a disastrously poor locker room.

And fans have reacted by mostly staying away. In 2019 when the A's actually spent around $100 million in payroll and won 97 games, average attendance neared 21,000 fans per game despite the poor facilities. But that collapsed as Fisher sold off parts, leading to a pathetic $51 million payroll and league-worst attendance figures.

It's gotten so bad that the current manager of the Chicago Cubs makes more than the highest paid A's player. Despite the fact that, you know, the manager doesn't actually play baseball games on the field.

READ: NEW CUBS MANAGER CRAIG COUNSELL WOULD HAVE BEEN THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYER ON THE OAKLAND A’S

The A's will have a shiny new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip that will undoubtedly draw fans in its first few seasons. But after that, after the novelty wears off, it'll be on Fisher and the front office to build a competitive team.

There's too many other things to do in Las Vegas, it's too small a market, and there are too many baseball home games to support a team that's not winning. And not even trying to win. The A's under Fisher have all too often been operated as a cynical, money-making investment venture. Unless he starts actively attempting to sign key players or retain homegrown talent, interest will quickly wane again.

And then he'll have no more taxpayer money to fix the mess he created.