"If I'm the MLPBA, I'm screaming my head off about this" - MLB insider questions facilities at Shutter Health Park ahead of A's move to Sacramento

The Oakland A's have announced its future home venue amid continuous fan protests. The team will play its next three seasons in Sacramento after its lease agreement with the city of Oakland ends. This decision was made after negotiations for an extension fell through.

On Wednesday, the team's personnel met with Sacramento city officials and agreed to host the A's at Sutter Health Park from 2025 to 2027. However, this decision upset many fans and experts, including The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

On a recent episode of Foul Territory, Rosenthal questioned the silence of the MLBPA on the relocation plan. He also expressed concerns about the welfare of players and the playing environment.

“If I'm the MLBPA, I'm screaming my head off about this, then they might be," Rosenthal said. "They're being very kind of quiet about this so far, other than to say they've voiced their concerns.”

“What about the batting cages? What about the clubhouses? What about all of the things, all the accouterments that players are accustomed to now and frankly, playing at the highest level deserve? I'm not feeling great about it.”

The A’s ultimate destination is Las Vegas. Last year, all 30 MLB owners unanimously nodded to the team’s relocation proposal to grant the wish of John Fisher, the A’s owner. They are expected to play in Las Vegas by 2028.

The A's have many hurdles ahead

The Athletics moved from Philadelphia to Oakland in the mid-19s and have been part of several historic moments since. One is the 20-straight wins record in 2002, which inspired the famous baseball film "Moneyball".

In a last effort to keep the team in Oakland, a five-year, $97 million extension offer was proposed. However, the A's management countered with a two-year, $17 million deal, resulting in both parties closing the negotiation door.

With only a 14,000 capacity, Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park is nowhere near Oakland’s humongous 63,000-seated Colesium. However, low attendance was seen in the opening week, averaging below 6,500 attendees per game, as fans were unhappy.

The A's may hope to leave an impact on their final season in the City. But so far, their seven loss out of eight games says otherwise. They were clean-swept by the Boston Red Sox and lost 3-1 against the Cleveland Guardians. This week, The Detroit Tigers also added some victories to their records against the A’s.