The possibility of the Oakland Athletics major league baseball team moving to Montreal has faded as the team is now considering a lease deal ratified by city council Wednesday evening.
Oakland city council voted Wednesday in favor of a 10-year lease that would keep the Athletics in the city but on several conditions.
A’s President Mike Crowley expressed disappointment the lease deal was not passed with all of the clauses previously agreed to by the management of the Oakland Coliseum, where the team plays.
Crowley said that the amended lease needs to be studied before the team signs on the dotted line. The lease contains a clause that would allow the team to leave after 2018.
Last week speculation emerged that the team could end up moving to Montreal after a city councillor identified Montreal and San Antonio as top contenders for a possible relocation.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig later said that Montreal would be an excellent possibility for the relocation of an MLB team.
The A’s are currently in first place in the AL West with a record of 59-36, the best in major league baseball.
They have an attendance of 24,137 per game, which ranks as 23 of 30 teams this season.
