With the recent sales of the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels reaching prices well over their estimated valuations, the value of Athletics could reach nearly $4 billion by 2028 when they officially move to Las Vegas.
The Angels sold this month for $4 billion, according to multiple reports, with the Padres being traded earlier this year for $3.9 billion. Both clubs’ sales figures were above the estimated price by CNBC in the outlet’s annual MLB team valuation list released in March. CNBC reporter Michael Ozanian, who began the lists while with Forbes, has issued a new list via CNBC, with team values increasing as result of the two nearly $4 billion sales.
The A’s are now worth an estimated $3 billion, according to CNBC, placing the team which is temporarily playing in Sacramento, at 17th MLB. That price is up from the $2.5 billion CNBC had them valued at in March and $1 billion more than 2025.
The Angels’ $4 billion value has them at 12th and the Padres saw a slight increase after the Angles sell, with CNBC listing their value at $4.1 billion. The Padres were estimated to be worth $3.1 billion and the Angels $2.7 billion in March.
For comparison, the Arizona Cardinals are the lowest valued NFL team at $5.9 billion, and the Memphis Grizzlies are lowest in the NBA at $4.55 billion. The New York Yankees, valued at $12 billion, are the most valuable MLB team. The Miami Marlins are last at $2.2 billion.
Ozanian told the Review-Journal that as the A’s relocation to Las Vegas gets closer, the team’s value could track on the same level as the Padres.
The A’s value is rising with their under-construction $2 billion Las Vegas Strip ballpark, as the revenue generation and partnership deals available are being realized.
“The valuation is based on what their revenues are likely to be. … It should be well over $500 million,” Ozanian told the Review-Journal in March.
The A’s have brought on multiple minority stake investors in the team, tied to their Las Vegas move, with more groups likely to sign ahead of 2028 as the team looks to raise $550 million toward the construction costs of the stadium. The A’s have already brought on concessionaire Aramark, a South Korean group including a former MLB pitcher and a member of Korean pop group BTS and a group that includes Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban.
The Padres last year brought in $484 million in revenue and if the A’s hit the $500 million revenue mark, the club’s value could be on par with the Padres.
“It’s (A’s value) is going to continue to climb as their ballpark progresses and should they be successful in getting those revenue levels ($500 million), their valuation is going to continue to rise,” Ozanian said.
The A’s are tracking on a similar trajectory as the Raiders did when they moved from Oakland in 2020. The Raiders were nearly dead last in the NFL valuation lists before the move and have since jumped into the top 10 in recent years, largely tied to the move to Southern Nevada and Allegiant Stadium.
The A’s $3 billion estimated has them worth more than the NHL’s Golden Knights ($2.1 billion) and the WNBA’s Aces ($500 million) but less than the NFL’s Raiders at $9.3 billion, according to CNBC’s most recent team valuation lists.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
