John Fisher is Selling a Team, Just Not the A's

John Fisher has heard the pleas from fans for the past two years. They've been ringing in his ears. "Sell the team! Sell the team!" On Tuesday night, Sportico reported that Fisher is now looking to sell a team--just not the A's.

That's right, Fisher also owns the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS and that is the team that he's looking to unload. Earthquakes fans have also been fed up with Fisher's lack of spending--despite getting his new stadium built--and have been similarly voicing their own frustrations with his stewardship.

According to Sportico, the Earthquakes are valued at around $600 million, and an official announcement is expected to come at some point on Wednesday. Moelis & Co. has been hired to run the sale process. It's also being reported that Moelis & Co. were hired four years ago to help Fisher sell a minority stake in the club, and now they are being asked to sell a controlling interest.

It's unclear if that means all of Fisher's shares, or just a majority of the shares. With the Athletics set to host a groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas next week on Monday, June 23 at 8 a.m. (PT), one question has been repeated over and over throughout the relocation process--how Fisher is going to come up with the funding for the ballpark in Vegas?

It would appear as though selling at least part of his San Jose soccer club would be one way to get a big infusion of cash. It should also be noted that while Fisher is worth roughly $3 billion according to Forbes, that money isn't terribly liquid, as it's tied up in his ownership of the Athletics and in GAP stock. This potential sale of the Earthquakes would help him with some of the financing in Las Vegas.

This situation is still fluid and nothing is official just yet, but Fisher looking to sell a stake in the Earthquakes worth at least $301 million or so would certainly have ramifications on his other ventures. That would most notably be the A's potential ballpark in Las Vegas.