Wolff Likely To Discuss Plans To Buy A’s At Owners Meeting

Wolff To Reveal A’s Decision At Owners Meeting?

A's VP/Venue Development Lewis Wolff is “expected to present a tentative plan to purchase the franchise from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann” at the MLB owners meeting in Arizona this week, according to John Shea of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The A's sale is not on the agenda, but Wolff “would address the ownership committee,” which is headed by White Sox Chair Jerry Reinsdorf and researches the sale or relocation of teams. Schott is a member of the committee as well. While Wolff has said publicly that he wants to “keep Schott aboard,” it is “possible Schott no longer would be the managing general partner, a position he held since he and Hofmann bought the team from the Haas family.” Schott said, “I might be part of a new ownership, but definitely in a much lesser role.” Shea notes Wolff and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig were fraternity brothers in college, so the league’s approval of Wolff “might not be a major obstacle.” Any sale would “fuel speculation that the A's could be moved, especially if Wolff is unable to get a stadium deal in the East Bay. Wolff has ties to San Jose and tried to lure the Giants south when they were owned by Bob Lurie” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/11). In San Jose, Mark Purdy writes Schott for the first time Monday said that “100[%] of the team will be sold to” Wolff, if Wolff exercises his option to buy the franchise (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 1/11).