Las Vegas native Bryce Harper shares surprising take on A's move

Amid the Oakland A's all but official move to Sin City, Las Vegas native Bryce Harper weighed in with a surprising take on the situation. 

One would imagine Harper, a prideful hometown representative, would be pleased that Las Vegas is getting an MLB team. However, Harper took the side of the A's faithful, saying he felt "sorry for the fans in Oakland." 

"It's just not right," Harper said via Brooke Destra of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "They have so much history in Oakland. You're taking a team out of a city. I'm pretty sad because of all of the history and all of the greatness they've seen there.

"I see the A's as Oakland." 

Harper's comments echo throughout the baseball world. 

Earlier this week, A's fans held a "reverse boycott," showing up in droves to Oakland Coliseum in hopes of forcing owner John Fisher to sell the team. Meanwhile, commissioner Rob Manfred put his foot in his mouth Thursday, throwing a back-handed comment aimed at Oakland fans, calling the crowd "average" for an MLB team. Manfred also questioned the community's support of the A's, adding that Oakland never provided a solid plan for a new stadium. The Oakland Mayor's office responded to Manfred's comments, detailing previously discussed "very concrete" proposals. 

On Wednesday, the A's move took another step forward after the Nevada Assembly approved a $380 million bill to build a new stadium for the team in Las Vegas. All that's standing in the way of the A's move now is a governor's signature and the okay from MLB.