A's Vegas Ballpark Price Is Skyrocketing & Could Kill Baseball In Sin City

"If you build it, they will come…"

But what happens when it doesn't even get built in the first place?

That's what some baseball fans are wondering, as the Las Vegas ballpark that is supposed to host the Oakland Athletics at the start of the 2028 season has already skyrocketed in price by a quarter of a billion dollars. The estimated total cost right now stands at $1.75 billion.

… And they haven't even started construction yet. 

BALLPARK WILL NOW COST OVER $1.75 BILLION

"The increase in the budget is due to a combination of adding a variety of features to the ballpark along with general increases in construction costs. The design process is iterative, and has been allowing us to add elements to the ballpark intended to make this a premier facility for Major League Baseball," A’s executive Sandy Dean told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Officials are also already blaming inflation, which although President Trump is coming into office and may be able to help with that, so too are the unknowns of his tariff proposals, which could have a detrimental and costly effect on things like construction materials. Plus, let's be honest, when does ANYTHING ever go under budget or even according to budget when you're dealing with multi-billion dollar deals over a number of years?

Since the original announcement of the Oakland Athletics leaving the storied franchise's history to the ruins of Oakland to head to downtown Las Vegas and build a ballpark where the recently demolished Tropicana resort and casino was, there has been some doubt whether Nevada residents would even want a baseball team. 

Sure, the Raiders sell Vegas's Allegiant Stadium decently for their home football games, but the difference between football and baseball fans is that football fans for both the Raiders and their opponents will travel to the game. The Las Vegas Golden Knights also draw well thanks to a competent franchise that even won last year's Stanley Cup. But there's no guarantee baseball will do the same, especially if the cost continues to rise due to so many unknowns. Las Vegas passed Senate Bill 1 last year that designated $380 million towards the ballpark - but will more be needed?

According to the Journal, the additional $250 million cost will be the responsibility of the Athletics and owner John Fisher, who unceremoniously was booed out of Oakland and, coincidentally in mafia terms, is persona non grata to many baseball fans for the A's abomination that he created in recent years. The additional costs include more suites, player amenities, as well as an additional 70,000 square feet of ballpark features.

A'S MAY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO

Even before the massive price increase, the situation was already looking bleak for the Las Vegas Athletics. It doesn't help that current Mayor Carolyn Goodman said that she doesn't think that there should even be a Vegas baseball team in the first place! "I personally think they’ve got to figure out a way to stay in Oakland," Goodman told Front Office Sports earlier this year.

For now, both Fisher's Athletics and stadium construction manager Mortsen-McCarthy are still working on the partially redacted contract. Their next meeting will be this Thursday with the stadium authority.

Meanwhile, the A's will be playing (at least) three seasons at Sacramento, California's Sutter Health Park in what will truly look like a minor league facility because that is exactly what it is as it also hosts the Pacific Coast League's Sacramento River Cats. The new Sacramento home for the Athletics can fit 14,000 fans if one includes the lawn seating and standing room.

DO YOU THINK THE LAS VEGAS ATHLETICS EVER HAPPEN? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow