Report: Oakland Athletics Granted Permission to Move to San Jose

The Oakland Athletics have been functioning in a state of flux for some time now.  Will they have to remain in Oakland, a location and situation they consider unsustainable?  Or will the club have an opportunity to move to a new location and build a new stadium in San Jose?  Yesterday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that top MLB sources say that the Athletics will be granted permission by February to relocate to San Jose.

A’s general manager Billy Beane has said that his team has no choice but to “operate under the possible illusion” that the club with get a new stadium.

Their plan?

Revamp their team, selling off anything of value in order to push back their window of competition to three years from now.  This would allow the team to field a competitive team in anticipation of their new stadium, which would take approximately three years to build and open.

The Athletics have been operating with this frame of mind all offseason.  After dealing young starting pitcher Trevor Cahill for prospects, the A’s traded left-hander Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals for a collection talented arms.

But the A’s aren’t expected to be finished yet.  Many still believe Oakland will ship out closer Andrew Bailey for prospects before the winter is through.

Beane declined to comment on Nightengale’s report of Major League Baseball granting the A’s permission to move to San Jose.  However, Nightengale says Beane and the Athletics have received “private assurances” from Major League Baseball, but they aren’t allowed to speak about it publically.

For more on the Athletics, be sure to check out Swingin’ A’s.