Getty Images/Jed Jacobsohn

Even the Raiders have a difficult time drawing crowds to the Oakland Coliseum.

Turns out the same thing that keeps the A’s from fielding a truly competitive team might keep them from staying in the Bay Area: cash, or lack thereof.

News yesterday said the San Jose redevelopment agency in charge of purchasing a proposed stadium site is under financial duress. As in, can’t afford it.

A’s owner Lew Wolff blew off the trouble, telling the San Jose Mercury News that it's nothing unusual because government at all levels is in “disarray” right now, and that “we will not let anything stand in the way of getting the ballpark done.''

That’s tough talk, and implies that Wolff might pick up the tab himself. The agency has also talked about selling some of its existing holdings to cover the cost.

The two parcels in question are estimated in the neighborhood of $20 million, but it goes deeper than that. One of them is owned by AT&T, which has firm ties to the Giants—start with the name of their ballpark—and has said the land is not for sale.

The hard reality is that MLB hasn’t even approved the move; San Jose still falls within the territorial rights of the Giants, and some sort of compensation package will have to be worked out before San Jose is a viable option.

The harder reality is that if, for any of the above reasons, this project doesn’t happen, Wolff will almost certainly look to move the team out of the area. The Oakland Coliseum is a proven wasteland when it comes to attracting crowds, and the city itself has showed little desire to find an alternative. The once-robust talk of moving to Fremont has been all but extinguished.

It would be just another in what’s turning into a bit of a sports exodus by the bay. The 49ers want to move to Santa Clara, and various discussions have the Raiders joining them. Even the Sacramento Kings have been rumored to be headed to, alternatively, Seattle, Anaheim, Las Vegas and San Jose.

Enjoy the Bay Area sports scene while you have it. It might not be around (at least as we now know it) that much longer.