This article details the latest in negotiations between the Athletics and the City of Oakland on a lease extension for the Coliseum.

The city is proposing the five-year lease with the opt-out after three to safeguard itself in case there are construction delays in Las Vegas or the deal falls through. According to the offer sheet obtained by ESPN and KGO-TV, the city has dropped previous requirements that called for MLB to keep the A’s name and colors in Oakland, as well as a demand that MLB guarantee the city a future expansion team.

…

In addition, the city is asking for a commitment from Major League Baseball on one of three options: (1) a one-year exclusive right to solicit ownership of a future expansion team; (2) vote to leave the A’s colors and name in Oakland, or; (3) facilitate the sale of the A’s to a local ownership group.

ESPN.com

They are going to make the Athletics pay up to stay in Oakland, asking for $97 million dollars. The team now pays a fraction of that.

I believe this is the first time a team didn’t just up and move. The Giants were ready to leave San Francisco for Tampa Bay, but negotiations got them to stay. Most team just move and play in an improved minor league park until a new venue is ready, or a better park that was built to attract them.

Las Vegas is so hot, however, that it would be tough to move an MLB team there without a climate controlled stadium. So this move is going to continue to be the strangest of all time.