Athletics have begun Las Vegas relocation process, Rob Manfred says - ESPN

SEATTLE — The Athletics, poised to move out of Oakland and into Las Vegas, have «begun to submit information related to their relocation application,» Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stated Tuesday, adding that the application is «not complete at this point.»

About a month ago, the Nevada State Legislature approved a $380 million bill that would help fund a proposed 30,000-seat, $1.5 billion retractable-roof ballpark on the Tropicana Hotel site along the Vegas strip. The A's, based in Oakland since 1968, hope to break ground next year and open the venue in time for the 2027 season. Their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season and their interim home has yet to be decided.

«Our relocation guidelines actually spell out clearly what needs to be included in an application,» Manfred said, while speaking his annual, pre-All-Star Game appearance in front of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. «One of the things that you have to include is what's gonna happen during the interim period. They have not made a submission on that topic.»

MLB established a relocation committee in June to evaluate the A's move, a group headed by Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio. John Middleton and John Sherman, CEOs of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Kansas City Royals, respectively, also make up the committee, which will make a recommendation to the 30 owners for a yet-to-be-determined vote on the A's move. Seventy-five-percent approval is required.

The A's went into the All-Star break with a major league-worst 25-67 record and are averaging slightly over 10,000 fans per game, the lowest in the industry. Their biggest crowd came during what was deemed a «reverse boycott» on June 13, when an