Reggie Jackson on the future of the A's in Oakland: 'They're not going to have a team here'
OAKLAND – The A’s days in Oakland are numbered, as far as Reggie Jackson is concerned.
Jackson, who at one point wanted to purchase the A’s from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann, believes the team will have no choice but to vacate the East Bay in the coming years because of low revenue issues created by their decaying 55-year-old stadium.
“No, they’re not going to have a team here. You can’t play with three, four, five six thousand people in the stands,” Jackson said Sunday before the A’s held a celebration for the 1973 World Series championship team. “You have no revenues here. What’s the signage look like? You’ve got to have revenue.
“You’ve got to have players on your team making $20-$30 million a year if you’re going to compete and contend. You can’t do that here.”
Jackson also offered a gloomy outlook on the organization and local government’s ability to come together and develop a waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. Since November 2018, the A’s have eyed the property for a new $1 billion ballpark and another $12 billion in private investment for residential and commercial space in the neighborhood.
The A’s have also scouted sites for a possible new domed stadium in Las Vegas, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred saying in February that team owner John Fisher had focused on the city as the new home for his franchise.
The A’s have played at the Coliseum since 1968 and their lease at the stadium expires after the 2024 season.
“Nothing’s happening. I’m very disappointed. I’d love to see the team stay here,” Jackson said. “But I don’t care who you are. You can’t lose $100 million a year. Can’t lose $50 (million). You can’t do that. You can do it once in a while, do it for two to three years.
“You’re not going to be a billionaire long as you keep losing $100 (million) a year.”
Last month, a Forbes report, which was later corrected, said the A’s generated $212 million in revenue in 2022, last in all of baseball, with a profit of $29 million, which ranked 16th out of the 30 MLB teams.
The A’s, per Spotrac, have a total payroll this season of just over $58 million, last among all 30 MLB teams. Their opponent this weekend, the New York Mets, lead baseball with a total payroll of $345 million.
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