The Oakland Athletics have a farewell date: Sept. 29, 2024.
After 57 years in Oakland, the team announced Thursday that it would move to Sacramento next year, as an interim home on its way to Las Vegas.
The A’s agreed to a three-year deal to play at the home of the triple-A Sacramento River Cats, with an option for a fourth year if the Las Vegas ballpark is not ready as projected in 2028.
Sutter Health Park in Sacramento has a capacity of 14,014. The A’s have not posted a higher average attendance in Oakland since 2019, as loyal fans had long tired of an ownership that slashed payroll and failed in a two-decade search for a new stadium within the Bay Area.
The A’s and Oakland were unable to reach agreement on a deal to keep the team in the Oakland Coliseum pending a move to Las Vegas, as the Raiders did before they moved from Oakland to Las Vegas.
In November, Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the move to Las Vegas. That would make the A’s the first team in major league history to call four cities home, following Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland — and the Sacramento deal would make the A’s the first team to call five cities home.
The five California cities with major league teams next year will be Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Anaheim and Sacramento.
The A’s last scheduled home game this season is Sept. 26 against the Texas Rangers. The A’s then conclude the 2024 season with a weekend series in Seattle.
