At the end of a week that included A’s fans in Oakland pleading for new owners who won’t look to relocate as well as a significant step forward for the current owner’s efforts to move to Las Vegas, Rob Manfred addressed reporters Thursday at the commissioner’s office. It was his customary news conference at the conclusion of MLB’s quarterly owners meetings, but given the timing — seemingly approaching a conclusion to the years-long saga of trying to get a stadium built for the A’s somewhere that will provide a certain amount of public funding for the project — the bulk of the 22 minutes was spent on what comes next for this franchise.

On Wednesday, as part of a special session convened specifically to address the matter, the Nevada legislature approved a bill that dedicates $380 million of taxpayer funds toward the construction of a new ballpark in Vegas. That had been the most significant legal hurdle to A’s owner John Fisher’s efforts to take the franchise out of the Bay Area. Still, Manfred stressed Thursday that there is still an internal process before relocation can be approved. The team now must file an application that addresses the market it’s interested in moving to, the one it’s leaving behind and the efforts that were made to remain there.

The commissioner said, “It has always been baseball's policy and preference to stay put.”