Report: Some MLB Owners Upset A's Are Getting 'Preferential Treatment' for Vegas Move

The Oakland A's have had a far from seamless process as they attempt to complete their move to Las Vegas.

The organization has already drawn the ire of its fans in the form of organized protests and have also dealt with the tons of red tape that comes along with trying to build a new stadium.

Now, they're dealing with frustration from other team owners in MLB who feel that the A's have gotten an unfair break from the league during this process, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea.

"I heard from industry sources with close ties to MLB ownerships that some owners of low-revenue teams are upset that the A's are receiving preferential treatment -- no relocation fee, for instance -- and that high-revenue owners aren't thrilled that the A's benefit from increasing revenue sharing but don't seem to transfer the money into their baseball team, including payroll," Shea wrote in a column Sunday.

Back in June, Oakland got approval from the Nevada Legislature to build its new $1.5 billion stadium on The Strip with $380 million in public funding. And luckily for the organization, they'll be able to save a bit more money thanks to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.

In December, Manfred said the league would waive the A's relocation fee if they were to move to Las Vegas, which is the source of some of the other teams' consternation. The A's won't have to pay a sum of about $300 million.

He then addressed the issue once again last month following an ownership meeting, saying it'd be unrealistic to make Oakland pay the fee.

"The relocation fee, the ultimate decision, will be made in the process that I described a moment ago," Manfred said. "I've been clear with the owners: In the context where you have an owner who's making a billion-dollar private commitment moving to a market where they receive public funding, for baseball to step in and have a relocation fee, I don't see that as a realistic possibility."

As for the revenue sharing, the A's relocation to Vegas is set to make the franchise upwards of $50 million in revenue in 2024 and 2025 combined. According to the collective bargaining agreement, the A's were eligible for a 25-percent revenue share in 2022, a 40-percent share in 2023, a 75-percent share in 2024 and a full share in 2025 if they have a new stadium set to go, which is currently in the works.

And yet, the organization still has the lowest payroll of any team in MLB at $60.5 million.

The move is still subject to approval from the other MLB owners, but the A's have already begun the application process.