A's prospect Lawrence Butler calls his peers in the minors 'New Oakland,' but it will be Las Vegas soon enough
SEATTLE – Fans from around the globe flooded T-Mobile Park during MLB All-Star Weekend, which showcased all that is good about the game of baseball.
But there is one franchise about 800 miles south down the West Coast that likely needed this All-Star break after a brutal first half in every aspect.
The Oakland Athletics are in flux as owner John Fisher continues to look ahead to his team’s relocation to Las Vegas and fans share their frustrations and hope he will sell the team to someone who doesn’t want to move.
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CC Sabathia attends The Player’s Party at MLB All-Star hosted by the Major League Baseball Players Association, Lids and Topps Monday, July 10, 2023, at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for TAO Group)
The A’s own MLB’s worst record at 25-67, and Oakland Coliseum has averaged just 10,089 fans per game.
For a California kid, it’s hard for six-time All-Star and Cy Young winner CC Sabathia to fathom the A’s being at this crossroads.
"I think it’s tough," Sabathia, wearing a classic green A's cap with the yellow brim, told Fox News Digital at The Players’ Party in Seattle hosted by the MLB Players' Association, Lids and Topps.
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Sabathia grew up in Vallejo, California, about 40 minutes from Oakland, where the A’s have been a staple in the community. From ages 8-10, Sabathia watched as the A’s reached three consecutive World Series from 1988-1990, winning it all in 1989.
And when Sabathia became the 20th overall draft pick by the Cleveland Indians in 1998, the A’s were returning to their winning ways after a stretch of rebuilding.
Oakland Athletics fans fill RingCentral Coliseum during a reverse boycott game against the Tampa Bay Rays June 13, 2023, in Oakland, Calif. (Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)
But rebuilding isn’t the term for the A’s right now because that would mean incrementally getting better as the years move along. For the past three seasons, their trajectory has plummeted to the point where they had a 60-102 record last year and own the league’s lowest payroll at $60.8 million, showing Fisher and the front office are not investing in free agent talent to improve the team.
Instead, the focus remains on Las Vegas. While Sabathia is sad to see the team most likely heading to Sin City, he has had to deal with similar moves before with his other favorite teams.
"Obviously being a Raiders fan, too, being a Warriors fan, it’s tough for the city of Oakland," he explained.
The Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, and the Warriors relocated to San Francisco in 2019 after Oakland didn’t offer them what they wanted.
"I’m excited for the A’s potentially going to Vegas and what it could mean for the franchise. Growing up a Cali kid, like I said, it’s tough. But I got used to the Raiders in Vegas, so hopefully we’ll see with the A’s."
Oakland losing its sports teams has been difficult for the community on various levels. For the A’s, fans have tried everything to persuade the organization to stay. They’ve even attempted a reverse boycott by filling the normally mostly empty Oakland Coliseum's seats.
Lawrence Butler of the Oakland Athletics during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at T-Mobile Park Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Seattle. (Jorden Dixon/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
But within the organization, prospects like Lawrence Butler, the team’s seventh-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, are excited for what the future holds no matter where the franchise is by the time he’s called up.
"It’s a good feeling because we have a good group of guys coming up in the minor leagues," Butler told Fox News Digital while in Seattle for the All-Star Futures Game. "So we’re all excited. We can’t wait to get up there.
"I know it’s a bad narrative, but we can’t wait to get up there and change the narrative. We got a whole name for ourselves called ‘New Oakland.’ So we’re just ready to wait on the call, so we can get up there and turn things around."
Butler is expected to be called up to make his debut in 2024 with the A’s, and the team is expected to play through next season at Oakland Coliseum before making the transition to Las Vegas.
CC Sabathia and Amber Sabathia attend The Player’s Party at MLB All-Star hosted by the Major League Baseball Players Association, Lids and Topps Monday, July 10, 2023, at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for TAO Group)
There’s also young talent like top prospect Tyler Soderstrom and Mason Miller that could be what this team needs to get back on track.
But it won’t be "New Oakland," like Butler says. Everything will be brand new in Las Vegas.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a Las Vegas stadium funding bill into law last month for the A's, checking off a major box that signals there’s no turning back on a move.
The A's Las Vegas stadium won't open until at least the 2028 season.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
