John Fisher's future plans for the Athletics are unsurprisingly in shambles

Oh man, does this guy stink. I don't try to editorialize unless absolutely necessary, but by now Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher's intentions are clear -- he wants to move the team by any means. His plans are downright disastrous, but he doesn't care about the fanbase whatsoever.

Fisher is one of the worst owners in baseball. He failed to invest real capital in the A's for years, thus alienating a passionate fanbase. Low attendance is often a side-effect of bad baseball and a low payroll, so the A's haven't made him much money. Rather than investing in the on-field product, Fisher's solution is to abandon ship. The A's will move to Sacramento first from 2025-28, playing in a Triple-A stadium as a result.

Of course, a minor-league stadium isn't ready to host MLB players, so changes must be made. Fisher's solution to this is to build a clubhouse outside of the stadium entirely. Yes, I am serious, just ask Rob Manfred.

“They are actually constructing a separate building adjacent to the stadium that will be the home clubhouse,” Manfred said, per The Athletic ($). “They’re renovating the visiting clubhouse. There’s going to be new artificial turf installed. They are upgrading the camera capability, so they get major-league quality broadcasts out of Sacramento. There’s some revenue-associated renovations: some club seating and video boards that are being done in the stadium."

John Fisher's timeline for moving the Athletics is a mess

Fisher's current plan is to move to Las Vegas after the 2028 season, thus abandoning another excellent sports town in favor of an unpredictable one. Vegas welcomed the Golden Knights and Aces with open arms. We hope they do the same with the A's, assuming a move actually occurs. Yet, it's unfortunate that Fisher of all people will reap the rewards of said move.

“They still think they’re on schedule to be able to play in ’28,” Manfred continued. Yet, in order for that move to happen on schedule, Manfred thinks Fisher would have to break ground on a new Vegas stadium sooner rather than later. Fisher cannot afford such a stadium unless he sells some of his stake in the team.

“In terms of selling pieces of the club, I don’t think that John has a necessity of effectuating any of that in order to meet this timeline,” Manfred said.

Fisher's plans are a problem, but the timeline is his main issue. The A's will move eventually, yes, but he opted into an unrealistic agenda. Given his past, that shouldn't surprise anyone, especially fans in Oakland.

The A's are a mess, and that starts at the very top.