John Fisher

Fisher unsure where A's might play after Coliseum lease expires

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With the Athletics' Bay Area future in jeopardy, the clock is ticking on their Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum lease, which runs through Dec. 31, 2024.

In an exclusive interview with NBC Bay Area's Raj Mathai, owner John Fisher revealed the plan is to play out the remainder of the lease in their current home at the Coliseum.

However, what happens beyond 2024 remains to be seen, with Fisher saying no decision has been made on where the team will play until their proposed Las Vegas ballpark is ready.

"Next season will be at the Coliseum," Fisher told Mathai. "Our lease expires there at the end of the year. So we will need a home after that, and we'll be working closely with Major League Baseball. We for sure, will be talking to Oakland about whether there's an opportunity for the A's to continue to play there. And ultimately, it will be Major League Baseball's decision in consult that we will be working closely with to make that decision."

With no MLB stadium currently in place in Sin City, the only viable option in that area at this time would be Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the A's Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators.

Fisher said he admires Las Vegas Ballpark, but any decisions about whether or not it would be a viable option to host an MLB club must be vetted by the league.

"I think it's a fantastic ballpark, and I don't know the answer to the question of what improvements would need to be made for that ballpark to make it Major League Baseball ready," Fisher told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a separate interview. "That's all going to be under discussion and under the control of MLB itself.

"I can have my own opinion, but the commissioner and the league will really drive the decision of where we're going to play going forward and the suitability of the Las Vegas Ballpark for us to play there on a temporary basis."

When asked if Sacramento or Reno would be an appealing option before making a permanent move into a Las Vegas stadium, Fisher once again reiterated that MLB officials would be directly involved in any decisions about amending minor league stadiums to host a major league team.

"They're both minor-league facilities that would require changes to make them major-league ready. I haven't had the conversation with Major League Baseball yet as to where they would like us to play going forward."

RELATED: John Fisher reveals attempts to make amends with Raiders' Mark Davis

The A's don't have any concrete plans at the moment, but they still have plenty time to figure out where they'll play after 2024 as they wait for MLB owners to vote on potential relocation.

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