Are the Oakland Athletics relocating?

The city of Oakland tried to close the gap with the Athletics for a new ballpark on Tuesday, but is it too little, too late?

The city council voted in agreement to a measure which would allow the Athletics to be reimbursed for all maintenance on a new ballpark, marking a significant step forward for the two sides.

“We believe the city has solved for the issue the A’s identified as most critical … We believe the A’s can and should agree with these terms,” council member Betsy Lake said.

Oakland’s mayor, Libby Schaff released a statement showing optimism for the two sides moving forward.

"“Today’s vote by the City Council marks a milestone in our mission to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterfront ballpark district that will benefit the community for generations to come.“Based on our extensive negotiations, shared values and shared vision, we believe the A’s can and should agree to the terms approved by the City Council today. This is the path to keeping the A’s Rooted in Oakland in a way that protects our Port and tax payers and will produce the benefits our community demands and deserves.”"

Will the Oakland Athletics relocate?

Unfortunately, the Athletics did not see things the same way. A’s president Dave Kaval did not see the agreement as “an effective path forward”.

Rob Manfred agreed with the Athletics’ assessment.

“We are disappointed the City Council chose to vote on a proposal to which the A’s had not agreed. We will immediately begin conversations with the A’s to chart a path forward for the Club,” Manfred said Tuesday night.

So, what does this mean for the A’s? At the very least it’s a sign that the city takes their relocation threats seriously. Hopefully, for the sake of baseball fans in Oakland, they can come back to the negotiating table at some point in the near future.