The Athletics spent over five decades in Oakland, but due to the actions of owner John Fischer, the team will be playing in Sacramento for a few years before they officially make the move to Vegas in 2028. That led to immense uproar in Oakland, and while there’s nothing they can do to change things now, this has put pressure on the A’s to take a winner to Vegas.
Unfortunately, the team haven’t been a winner for quite some time, as the Athletics have advanced past their first playoff series (Wild Card included) just twice since 2006. However, they are building a very exciting young core, and with a record of 36-36 through their first 72 games this season, the future has started to look very bright.
The Athletics Young Core has the Team on the Right Track
GettyJacob Wilson of the Athletics.
With names like Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langaliers and Tyler Soderstrom among others, this is a core that could compete for a long time to come, with the majority of them locked in to long-term contracts.
That’s not all however, as the A’s moved Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres for Leo De Vries, with the 19-year-old profiling as a potential superstar at the next level. In AA this season, De Vries is hitting .286 with a .775 OPS alongside 6 home runs & 23 RBI in 56 games played, and once he arrives, this could be one of the most competitive teams in the American League.
Will John Fischer Trade Another Member of the Athletics Core?
In his latest interview with The Athletic, owner John Fischer opened up on the Mason Miller trade, revealing he didn’t know he was going to do it until the offer was given, stating there was a 0% chance he was going to trade Miller just weeks before the deal went through.
In the same interview, he was then asked about potentially trading another key piece of this core group before the move to Vegas, and while he may change his mind eventually, right now the plan is to move forward with this young core ahead of the massive change.
“I will just say there certainly are no plans to trade any of those guys or any of the other young stars that we have on our team, and we’re excited about the potential that they all represent,” Fischer said. “I’m excited about who we have, and believe strongly that they’re going to represent our team when we open here in ’28.”
“I think we thought Mason Miller would be with us forever… I will just say there certainly are no plans to trade any of those guys or any of the other young stars that we have”
Right now, the Athletics have arguably the brightest future of any team in all of Major League Baseball, and while the pitching could be improved, with the team ranking 26th in team ERA right now, the lineup gives them a chance to win every night. Obviously, things could change between now and the beginning of the 2028 season, but given what we’ve seen from this young A’s squad in 2026, we could be looking at a true contender for years if this is built right ahead of the move to Vegas.
Athletics Owner John Fischer Addresses Plans for Young Core Ahead of Move to Vegas