Oakland A's in Talks to Stay at Coliseum

Update, 4:37 p.m.: Mayor Jean Quan has issued a statement saying that negotiations on the A's lease are ongoing and that a deal has not been reached. This is contrary to what Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff told The Associated Press.

"We are all working to make sure the A's stay here at home in Oakland. The JPA has been negotiating with the team for months. As recently as last night, they received a new counteroffer from the team, which we have not yet had opportunity to review in depth," she said in a statement.

Negotiations are expected to continue Thursday. The Coliseum Joint Powers Authority is expected to vote on a deal Friday morning.

If the Coliseum board okays it, it has to go to both the Oakland City Council and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Mayor Jean Quan Reacts to A's Deal News

Original post:

By Josh Dubow
The Associated Press

Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff says the club has reached a 10-year lease agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority to stay at the Oakland Coliseum.

The deal is subject to approval by the JPA, city of Oakland and Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commended both sides for reaching a deal on a lease extension, while offering, "I continue to believe that the Athletics need a new facility and am fully supportive of the club's view that the best site in Oakland is the Coliseum site."

The two-time AL West champion Athletics are still hoping for a new stadium, but Wolff said a proposed site near Oakland's popular Jack London Square neighborhood has proved not to be a feasible option.

"Howard Terminal as a potential ballpark site has been and is totally rejected by MLB and the A's," Wolff said in an email to The Associated Press.

Selig reiterated that in a statement Wednesday. He has long supported Wolff's efforts to build a stadium, but hasn't ruled whether the A's can move into the San Francisco Giants' territory in technology-rich Silicon Valley and San Jose.

The rundown Coliseum has had multiple sewage problems in the past year and an outage affecting the outfield lights against the New York Yankees on June 14.

"I continue to believe that the Athletics need a new facility and am fully supportive of the club's view that the best site in Oakland is the Coliseum site," Selig said. "Contrary to what some have suggested, the committee that has studied this issue did not determine that the Howard Terminal site was the best location for a new facility in Oakland."

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this report.