Documents released suggest the Arizona Diamondbacks and Las Vegas had discussions about the team relocating to Sin City.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal obtained copies of documents about a non-disclosure agreement signed between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the city to discuss ‘certain mutually beneficial opportunities.’ This, of course, is the document which makes us believe they discussed relocating.
Now the agreement was signed almost a year ago and there is no indication of if the talks are still ongoing, how far they got, or if they even went anywhere.
This comes on the heels of the news that the club signed another non-disclosure agreement with the city of Henderson. That agreement reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal also included a $1 billion proposed ballpark for the club.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Let me reiterate these are not concrete facts. The fact is the team signed multiple non-disclosure agreements to discuss beneficial opportunities between the two entities. Of course, this leads us to believe the only mutually beneficial opportunities would be the team relocating to said city.
I’m not going to touch on the logistics of such move nor about what it would take to get out of any contract they have with the city of Phoenix regarding Chase Field. I have no idea what that looks like.
I want to focus on what this would mean for the Diamondbacks fans. Personally, I hate this move! Why would you move from a stadium which holds so many memories in the franchises’ short 21-year history?
The team was added in 1998 along with the Tampa Bay Rays and both have had varying degrees of success in their existence. For crying out loud, the images I remember most are of the Game 7 World Series victory against the Yankees.
Randy Johnson running out of the bullpen, Luis Gonzalez hitting the tie-breaking, World Series-winning hit and the euphoria with which Jay Bell crossed home plate to score that run.
Also more recently, watching Brandon Webb dominate on the mound, Paul Goldschmidt hitting moon shot after moon shot and every other player who has passed through Chase Field’s doors.
My message to the Arizona Diamondbacks would be to exhaust every single option to stay in Arizona if indeed they are exploring leaving Phoenix. The team’s history in the state and city are too rich to all of a sudden be rooting for the ‘Las Vegas Diamondbacks.’