The Oakland A's last played baseball in this city over a year ago, but the franchise still holds both a potential ownership stake in the Coliseum and the decisive ability to reject groups that seek a longer residency there. It is an uncomfortable arrangement that comes at a turning point for the Coliseum property, where lucrative private events could bring an end to live sports played at the iconic stadium.
Ha-Seong Kim is back in Atlanta after signing a $20MM deal to remain the club's starting shortstop. He took a one-year contract that'll allow him to get back to free agency after what he hopes to be a healthy season. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last night that Kim had declined multi-year offers. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the A's proposed a four-year, $48MM deal. It's unclear if that would have included any opt-out opportunities, though it seems safe to assume they wouldn't have risked a four-year commitment that allowed him to opt out after just one season.
We're really coming into the final stretch of the regular season! It's certainly nice to already have the series win secured, thanks to the offense waking up and our pitchers shutting down the talented and surprisingly powerful A's hitters. Now we can go for a good ol' sweep, all the more desired given that we're tied with the Yankees for first place in the Wild Card and the Mariners are on a win streak.