SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Major League Baseball is dragging its feet on having team owners vote on the Oakland Athletics’ proposed move to a new ballpark 40 miles south in San Jose, San Jose city officials said in a lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Jose is disputing MLB’s exemption from federal antitrust law, which MLB has used as a “guise” to control team locations, according to the suit.
The San Francisco Giants have objected to the A’s potential move on grounds they relied on territorial rights to the San Jose-area market when they built their ballpark, AT&T Park.
The lawsuit contends that such territorial rights reduce competition and harm consumers.