A's Release New Las Vegas Renderings

The pictures look nice, and with the announcement of Marc Badain as the team's new president, as well as the extension given to Lawrence Butler last night, the A's have been in the headlines quite a bit, and for positive reasons.

What fans may notice initially in the new renderings is that the scoreboard has been reduced drastically in size. Instead of a green screen that wraps along the entirety of the inside of the dome, there are now two scoreboards--one in left field and another in right.

Speaking of the scoreboards, they also show Brent Rooker, still a .303 hitter in back-to-back renderings, instead of Zack Gelof.

The ballpark also seems to feature tiered bullpens in left field, with the A's closer to the field, and the opponent's bullpen much closer to the fans walking by.

The renderings themselves look nice, and not like the rushed ones that the A's have previously released for the Tropicana site. But nicer pictures still don't mean that the project is at the finish line just yet.

The team is still saying that they will break ground in June, which will put them on track to open the ballpark (by their own estimation) for Opening Day in 2028. Yet, there have been no reports of a financing plan that includes $1.4 billion from owner John Fisher and his family, and costs to build only go up with more delays.

The price of steel could also play a factor in this project as well, especially with the looming threat of tariffs on countries that export steel. Add that to the fact that their partner Bally's is having some trouble financially, and this project could become too expensive for Fisher's taste, even if he's able to land an investor.

When you look at the pieces of the puzzle, it's hard to tell how they'll end up fitting when all is said and done. Everything could work out with Badain now in charge, and the A's could get their Las Vegas ballpark. Everything could also completely fall apart.

How interested the public in Las Vegas ends up being for the opportunity to be on the priority list for season tickets could play a role in whether or not Fisher ends up being willing to finance this ballpark--no matter the cost.