The Oakland A’s are losing one of their top executives as they navigate their controversial move from the Bay Area. Dave Kaval, who’s been the team’s president for eight years, announced he’s stepping down at the end of December.
The timing couldn’t be more uncertain for the A’s. They’re about to start playing in a minor-league park in Sacramento while trying to figure out if they can really make it work in Las Vegas.
“We are grateful for Dave’s contributions and leadership,” team owner John Fisher said in a statement. But many fans might disagree with that rosy assessment.
Kaval, 49, often took the heat for the team’s unpopular decisions – especially since Fisher himself rarely speaks to the media or shows up in public.
Sandy Dean, who’s already part of the A’s ownership group, will step in as interim president.
The team’s future is anything but clear. They’re supposed to spend at least three years in Sacramento while they work on their Vegas plans. But there’s a pretty big catch.
Fisher still needs to find private investors willing to pay for most of their proposed Las Vegas ballpark. That’s proving to be really tough.
Why? Well, it’s hard to convince investors that leaving the massive Bay Area market for MLB’s smallest media market makes financial sense.
Kaval, meanwhile, says he’ll stay in California to “explore new opportunities at the crossroads of business and government.” He’s leaving behind a team that’s been in Oakland since 1968 – and a fanbase that’s still angry about the planned move.
The big question now: Will the A’s actually end up in Las Vegas? With financing still up in the air, nothing’s certain about where this historic franchise will ultimately call home.
