2016 MiLB Affiliation Dance

garnetpalmetto · Feb 3, 2016

With this being an even-numbered year, many of the professional development contracts (PDCs) that underpin affiliations between major league teams and minor league teams are up for renewal. Currently, teams are in a period where they can renew their PDCs. Following the end of the season teams which have opted not to renew can their affiliations can acquire a new parent/farm team This season the following PDCs are currently up for renewal:

AAA

AA

Advanced A

Low A

Short Season A

Advanced Rookie

Quid Pro Clowe · Feb 3, 2016

Gnats stole Sacramento from us.

garnetpalmetto · Feb 3, 2016

Clowe Me said:
Gnats stole Sacramento from us.

To be exact, it was more that Sacramento turned you down. The A's extended an invitation to renew the affiliation and the River Cats declined it to pursue San Francisco.

Quid Pro Clowe · Feb 3, 2016

I'm well aware. Doesn't make me any less rational about it lol.

AdmiralsFan24 · Feb 3, 2016

I'm sure you're a fine place, Colorado Springs but I can't wait until the Brewers get the hell away from you.

SJSharksfan39 · Feb 3, 2016

I knew of the Giants main affiliates like San Jose and Sacramento, but I didn't know they had many others. Richmond, Augusta, Salem-Kaiser, you don't hear about those teams very much.

bluesfan94 · Feb 3, 2016

AdmiralsFan24 said:
I'm sure you're a fine place, Colorado Springs but I can't wait until the Brewers get the hell away from you.

Colorado Springs is absolutely stunning, but yes, a bad place for baseball.

BigMac1212 · Feb 3, 2016

I'm sure the Mets want to get out of Las Vegas.

BigMac1212 · Feb 4, 2016

garnetpalmetto said:
With this being an even-numbered year, many of the professional development contracts (PDCs) that underpin affiliations between major league teams and minor league teams are up for renewal. Currently, teams are in a period where they can renew their PDCs. Following the end of the season teams which have opted not to renew can their affiliations can acquire a new parent/farm team This season the following PDCs are currently up for renewal:

AAA
International League
Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays)
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies)
Pawtucket Red Sox (Red Sox)
Rochester Red Wings (Twins)
Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers)

mod: snip

According to my Microsoft Word calculations, up to 83 teams PDC's are up for grabs. Let's the shuffle begins.

Eyedea · Feb 4, 2016

Blue Jays and Vancouver Canadians extended association through the 2018 season.

garnetpalmetto · Feb 4, 2016

BigMac1212 said:
According to my Microsoft Word calculations, up to 83 teams PDC's are up for grabs. Let's the shuffle begins.

Well the shuffles won't begin until after the season - for now it's just instances like Eyedea pointed out with Vancouver reupping with Toronto, the Greenville Drive (Low-A, South Atlantic League) renewing their affiliation with the Red Sox, Hartford (Double-A, Eastern League) renewing with Colorado, etc. But there'll definitely be some shuffles to be had. The entire California League is up for renewal, so that should be interesting, especially given that Bakersfield is the market nobody wants and there's no replacement for Sam Lynn Ballpark on the horizon.

BigMac1212 said:
I'm sure the Mets want to get out of Las Vegas.

Maybe. The last affiliation dance in 2014, I thought the Mets would want to get out of there as fast as their legs could carry them, but they chose to renew. That said, with, again, no replacement for Cashman on the horizon and the conditions at Cashman so awful, the Mets might start exploring other options. Their affiliation with Buffalo didn't work out so well a few years before, but Rochester might be of interest.

Big McLargehuge · Feb 5, 2016

I'm rather surprised that the West Virginia Black Bears haven't extended their deal with the Pirates yet. They only got their team last year because of the Pirates in the first place.

It'll happen eventually.

The Pirates seem to be pretty steady in terms of affiliates for the near future, owning a handful of the lower teams and flexing major influence over a couple of the others. Indianapolis is the only one that really feels kinda random (though 2016 will be the 12th year of that affiliation), but they just extended their deal with the Pirates until 2020.

Voight · Feb 5, 2016

Always hoping major league teams can have their AAA affiliate close by. The Bisons for example can have a player in Toronto in 2 hours or less. Then you have teams like the Mets who's affiliate is halfway across the country.

BigMac1212 · Feb 5, 2016

Big McLargehuge said:
I'm rather surprised that the West Virginia Black Bears haven't extended their deal with the Pirates yet. They only got their team last year because of the Pirates in the first place.

It'll happen eventually.

The Pirates seem to be pretty steady in terms of affiliates for the near future, owning a handful of the lower teams and flexing major influence over a couple of the others. Indianapolis is the only one that really feels kinda random (though 2016 will be the 12th year of that affiliation), but they just extended their deal with the Pirates until 2020.

I can't understand why the Pirates' A-SS affiliate isn't with State College. Why? The Spikes' ballpark dimension are near identical with PNC Park.

Big McLargehuge · Feb 6, 2016

BigMac1212 said:
I can't understand why the Pirates' A-SS affiliate isn't with State College. Why? The Spikes' ballpark dimension are near identical with PNC Park.

It originally was, but State College wasn't happy with the way the Pirates were using the Spikes as a purely developmental team (for a short-season team? What?!) and severed the relationship so they could get some 'better' teams and likely larger crowds. Basically I don't think they understood the purpose of why short-season 'A' ball exists, but whatever. The Spikes had one god-awful season with the Pirates and otherwise were mediocre. They're fielding much better teams now that they're with the Cardinals, largely because the average age of the roster is roughly a year older than it was as a Pirates affiliate. The Black Bears did, however, win the ****ing league in their first season, so that was pretty sweet. The Spikes won the league the year prior, so I guess both sides can feel fairly vindicated.

This ordeal was part of the reason the Pirates brought the Bristol Pirates into the fold as well.

garnetpalmetto · Mar 7, 2016

Sacramento and San Francisco come off the board as the Giants and River Cats have renewed their affiliation through 2020.

Eyedea · Mar 8, 2016

I think the Bisons are actually signed through the 2016 season, so they'll be up for renewal next offseason.

garnetpalmetto · Mar 10, 2016

Eyedea said:
I think the Bisons are actually signed through the 2016 season, so they'll be up for renewal next offseason.

Yes, but they can renew early and as some teams have renewed early, that's why the thread has started now.

garnetpalmetto · Mar 16, 2016

The Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Giants have renewed their PDC through 2020. Now whether the Flying Squirrels franchise will still be in Richmond in 2020 remains to be seen!

BigMac1212 · Mar 16, 2016

Is anybody going to change hands?

garnetpalmetto · Mar 17, 2016

BigMac1212 said:
Is anybody going to change hands?

That portion of the dance won't happen until after this season plays out. From now until the end of the season it'll just be renewals. That said, looking at the list I wouldn't be surprised if there's some movement, particularly in the California League - not just of affiliations but perhaps of teams themselves. Nobody wants to be Bakersfield's affiliate owing to the poor conditions at Sam Lynn Ballpark and there still isn't resolution on what's happening with the High Desert Mavericks who were evicted from their stadium last month. It's merely speculation but Main Street Baseball owns the Mavericks - perhaps the Rangers will purchase them and enact the "move the team to North Carolina" plan that was the underpinning of the former plans in the Binghamton-Wilmington-Kinston shuffle that was in the midst of happening, especially with Grainger Stadium in Kinston still empty after the Indians moved in 2012. There's also still talk of a new park in Fayetteville, NC that could host a team.

AdmiralsFan24 · Mar 31, 2016

Elmore Sports Group owner of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox set to announce plan to move team to a new stadium in downtown San Antonio.

http://gazette.com/report-sky-sox-owners-set-to-announce-plans-to-move-team/article/1573248

BigMac1212 · Mar 31, 2016

AdmiralsFan24 said:
Elmore Sports Group owner of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox set to announce plan to move team to a new stadium in downtown San Antonio.

http://gazette.com/report-sky-sox-owners-set-to-announce-plans-to-move-team/article/1573248

There goes my expansion plans. :sarcasm:

Colorado just got hosed.

Now where does the AA San Antonio Missions move to? I want them to move to Shreveport, but I'm living in my Phoenix Firebirds past.

garnetpalmetto · Apr 1, 2016

BigMac1212 said:
There goes my expansion plans. Colorado just got hosed.

Now where does the AA San Antonio Missions move to? I want them to move to Shreveport, but I'm living in my Phoenix Firebirds past.

Amarillo's my guess. The city hasn't had affiliated ball since the Gold Sox left in 1982 but they're looking to build a new downtown ballpark to replace their current vintage 1949 ballpark.

BigMac1212 · Apr 1, 2016

garnetpalmetto said:
Amarillo's my guess. The city hasn't had affiliated ball since the Gold Sox left in 1982 but they're looking to build a new downtown ballpark to replace their current vintage 1949 ballpark.

That might give the American Association a stroke. :naughty:

2016 MiLB Affiliation Dance

Jerkministrator

Registered User

Jerkministrator

Registered User

Registered User

Registered User

Registered User

I feel...alone.

I feel...alone.

The Legend Continues

Jerkministrator

Fragile Traveler

#winning

I feel...alone.

Fragile Traveler

Jerkministrator

The Legend Continues

Jerkministrator

Jerkministrator

I feel...alone.

Jerkministrator

Registered User

I feel...alone.

Jerkministrator

I feel...alone.

Ad

Ad

Ad