It makes sense only because it's Jerry. Dave Stewart connection to TLR who whispers lovely little unicorn and sugarplum thoughts into Jerry's ears. Jerry is massively internalized and only surrounds himself by YES men. Who knows how much is left up in that 88 year old brain to even make a smart business decision anymore? Tony tells Jerry this is good for baseball, and the "biggest fan out there" Jerry believes him. You've already got the perfect storm brewing:
(1) A all-time worst performance this season continues to damage attendance, season ticket holders, and revenue in a huge market dominated by the team up North.
(2) They're dropping payroll for the second straight year, which easily could make the team enticing for a new ownership group to want in.
(3) The state is not going to budge one inch on any sort of taxpayer funding for a new stadium, and the lease is expiring relatively soon.
The classic "spin" that Oakland used to convince MLB about the issues holding back their competitiveness exists with this organization, self-inflicted or not.