Updated: The Merc’s Dylan Hernandez wrote an article on the MLS-A’s deal. The A’s bought a three year option on the Quakes, contingent upon a new SSS (soccer-specific stadium). MLS prefers that the team start playing when a new stadium is ready, which probably wouldn’t be until 2008-09 at the earliest. Long-suffering Quakes fans would obviously prefer a 2007 launch.

A small blurb in Mychael Urban’s beat article for MLB.com and a report from Matchnight.com both point to an announcement on Wednesday in which the A’s involvement in Earthquakes v 3.0 will be made official. Details are scarce, which leads to some potentially wild speculation about the respective futures of both the Quakes and the A’s. Some possibilities (none of which are confirmed):

• Quakes play at Spartan Stadium starting in 2007 (under new management for the next couple of years), until Spartan is either replaced or revamped (with the A’s help).
• Quakes play at a new Fremont stadium near the A’s future Fremont ballpark.
• Quakes and A’s share a stadium (unlikely due to demands by both MLS and MLB).
• Quakes play at a new stadium at the Diridon South site.
• Quakes play at a new stadium in Santa Clara, either at Mission College or near Great America.
• Quakes play at a new stadium in the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.
• Quakes play in Oakland?

In all of these cases, the Quakes’ interim home would probably be Spartan Stadium while another facility is spec’ed out and built (there is no current development process underway for a soccer stadium).

A conference call held by MLS commissioner Don Garber is scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. PDT.