The Athletics have turned the table and are spending huge this year. However, that’s not the real deal; owner John Fisher is doing it to get his share from the league. Well, he is aware of the fact that, if he doesn’t make signings of players, he may end up empty-handed. So, is this something that may have increased the spending by the Athletics?

It is definitely not the only reason! The Athletics intend to show a great transition by signing new players. They want to make a big statement as they enter the offseason in a new city and ballpark. Guess what? They have already announced that they are moving to a different city. The Athletics’ spending didn’t go well with many—Scott Ostler, on January 10, called out John Fisher’s approach on the Foul Territory. He said, “The Athletics are way down there. They may have spent $40 million last year, but this year, to receive their share of revenue, which I think, would be around $60 million.”

Scott went on to add that they would need to raise payroll to about $105 million. Otherwise, the Player’s Union might question Fisher about not spending on the players, despite earning good money from the league. The other teams’ owners might question his spending, which could endanger his ownership in the long run. They need to spend more to avoid MLBPA complaints about their lack of spending over the years too. However, this isn’t the only reason they went on to sign the right-handed pitcher, Luis Severino, for a hefty deal.

Given that the Athletics have a 2027 player option, many are surprised by Luis Severino‘s large two-year, $67 million contract. Rather than waiting for the bargain, they managed to strike early in the offseason by announcing this major deal. The nine-year Major League veteran made 31 starts, posted a 3.91 ERA, and made 161 strikeouts in 182 innings for the Mets. It signals a great transition for the Athletics squad, showing great promise in the upcoming season. But that is not all; they aim to relocate to Las Vegas shortly.

The Athletics’ move to Vegas might be sooner than expected

The Athletics relocating to Las Vegas is already on the cards. Definitely, great intent was shown by the owner of the Athletics MLB to transfer the team from Oakland, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada. The reason? Well, the organization failed to build a modern stadium, replacing the Oakland Coliseum. This ultimately led to an announcement in 2023 that they were planning to establish a new ballpark in Las Vegas Valley. However, that wasn’t the final call!

While it was slated to form in the Wild Wild West Gambling Hall and Hotel, the idea was later transferred to the Tropicana Las Vegas. It’s just a matter of time for the Athletics now. They waited until the lease with Coliseum ended in 2024, and they would play their first game of 2025 in the Sutter Health Park in California. But this isn’t something new for the Athletics, right? The team had already moved twice before when they were playing in Philadelphia and Kansas City.

So, they will be moving to a new city for the third time. But will that turn around their fate after the previous lukewarm seasons? Or can the Athletics regain their fortunes with the increased spending? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.