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Oakland A’s to gain revenue sharing status once more

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 22: General view of the Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum on July 22, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in 10 innings. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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There have been very few things that the MLBPA and Major League Baseball have agreed upon over the course of the lockout. Even though talks are ongoing, the start of the regular season is in jeopardy as there just has not been enough movement in negotiations. However, when it comes to the Oakland A’s, the two sides have agreed upon something.

According to reports, both MLB and the MLBPA are willing to put the A’s back into the revenue sharing program. They had previously been a part of the group of teams to receive money, but had gradually been removed from the list of teams receiving funds.

Oakland A’s to receive revenue sharing again

While this may seem to be a minor move, it could have an impact upon the A’s in the future. The A’s had received $30 million from that pool back in 2016, which would pay for a large chunk of their projected 2022 payroll.

However, that is not going to change anything for the coming year. The A’s would not receive any money until the end of this season, which would make the upcoming season potentially problematic from a financial standpoint. Their plans to slash payroll would still likely be on the table.

Receiving those revenue shares likely will not make much of a difference in the future either. The A’s did not spend on players when they were one of those teams to receive money with those shares going to line John Fisher’s pockets. There is a reason why the A’s were one of four teams listed in the MLBPA’s grievance against teams refusing to spend on payroll.

It is easy to claim that a new day will be dawning, that revenue sharing and the possibility of a new ballpark will lead the A’s to actually spend money. But tigers do not change their stripes. As long as Fisher owns the A’s, that new source of revenue will not make a difference, no matter what the organization may want fans to believe.

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The Oakland A’s are likely to receive revenue sharing money once again. That added source of income is not going to change their reluctance to spend.