Giants issue brief statement on A's possibly leaving Oakland originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Giants and Athletics have shared the Bay Area since 1968, but that could change soon.
The A's announced Wednesday that they have a binding agreement for a plot of land in Las Vegas that they hope to use to build a new ballpark.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
While the A's attempt to move to Las Vegas is far from a done deal, Oakland mayor Sheng Thao announced late Wednesday night that the city has ceased negotiations with the team in regards to the proposed Howard Terminal waterfront ballpark.
With all of that in mind, the Giants issued a brief statement to NBC Bay Area on Friday related to the possibility of the A's leaving Oakland in the near future.
Sports
The Giants moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958 and the A's followed from Kansas City, Mo. to Oakland in 1968.
The two storied franchises have battled for Bay Area bragging rights ever since, and they met in the 1989 World Series, with the A's emerging victorious by sweeping their cross-bay rivals.
Things haven't always been rosy between the two franchises, with the Giants invoking their territorial rights on Santa Clara County to block the A's from building a new ballpark in San Jose more an a decade ago.
With the A's believing they are running out of options in the Bay Area, they have turned their attention to a singular path in Las Vegas. Though they have an agreement for the plot of land, the team still has hurdles to clear with local politicians and residents.
RELATED: Kaval admits A's binding agreement in Las Vegas is 'bittersweet'
If everything goes according to the A's plan, they would break ground in 2024 with the goal of opening their new Las Vegas ballpark in time for the 2027 MLB season.
If that happens, the Giants would be the only MLB team in Northern California for the first time since 1967.
