So help me ground this thread back in reality. As I understand it, the Nationals options now are:
(1) Suck it up and go to Las Vegas
(2) Try to "trade" with another team that might prefer Las Vegas to their current AAA location
(3) Buy another AAA team that isn't owned by its MLB club, and stick that unfortunate MLB club with Las Vegas
The Las Vegas 51's were my first ever minor league experience, back when they were a Blue Jays farm team. Nobody in Las Vegas knows that there's a AAA baseball team there. My cab driver had no idea the stadium existed and I had to give him directions. It's north of the strip, the tram and such doesn't go there. Kinda a sad locale in a city that could totally offer a superior and unique experience if the stadium were elsewhere.
(4) sign a contract with one of the AAA teams that is not Las Vegas and isn’t owned by a mlb team, and let someone else lose the game of musical chairs. The contracts turn over every few years. That’s how the Nats could get into Nashville or wherever. Oakland (current affiliate) doesn’t have to agree or sign off or anything.
