2018 MiLB Regular Season News and Notes/2018 Affiliation Dance

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SSF

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Oh FFS, cant wait to goto a Trash Pandas game in Madison in 2 years.

I would say Mobile's attendance will crater, but it sucked anyways.
 

garnetpalmetto

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Big news out of New Orleans as it looks like the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Triple-A, Pacific Coast League) will relocate to Wichita in 2020 to occupy a new stadium under construction there and that a Double-A team from the Southern League would then shift into the Shrine on Airline. Who that Southern League team is isn't known (Jackson maybe? They were on the block for quite some time a few years back) and it would likely require a renovation/downsizing of the Shrine's seating bowl, but wow. Big news. Articles from the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Wichita Eagle with an announcement expected today.
 
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BigMac1212

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Big news out of New Orleans as it looks like the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Triple-A, Pacific Coast League) will relocate to Wichita in 2020 to occupy a new stadium under construction there and that a Double-A team from the Southern League would then shift into the Shrine on Airline. Who that Southern League team is isn't known (Jackson maybe? They were on the block for quite some time a few years back) and it would likely require a renovation/downsizing of the Shrine's seating bowl, but wow. Big news. Articles from the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Wichita Eagle with an announcement expected today.

There goes my expansion idea.
 

garnetpalmetto

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41788447_10156635901218908_6893796477177430016_n.jpg
 

garnetpalmetto

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Jul 12, 2004
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Fresno (Triple-A, Pacific Coast League) has announced that their relationship with the Astros is coming to a close and they'll be seeking a new affiliate. It's expected that the the Astros will affiliate with the Round Rock Express, do in part to the Ryan family's involvement in both teams. The Express were affiliated with the 'Stros from 2005-2010 and have been with the Rangers since then. It's thought that the Rangers, meanwhile, would shift to the San Antonio Missions (the relocated Colorado Springs Sky Sox).

Meanwhile, Nashville and Oakland are also believed to be parting ways, so that would leave the Brewers, Nationals and the A's to choose between Las Vegas, Fresno, and Nashville.



Fresno Grizzlies split from Astros, look for new affiliation for 2019
 
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Taro Tsujimoto

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So that means there's currently three openings in AAA (Fresno, Nashville, San Antonio), and three teams that don't currently have a AAA affiliate (Astros, Nationals, Brewers).
 

garnetpalmetto

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So that means there's currently three openings in AAA (Fresno, Nashville, San Antonio), and three teams that don't currently have a AAA affiliate (Astros, Nationals, Brewers).

Correct, but the expectation is that San Antonio will affiliate with the Rangers after the Astros and Round Rock partner up. The real pieces on the board at this point are Fresno & Nashville and Washington & Milwaukee.

In other news, Orem (Rookie, Pioneer League) has renewed with the Angels through 2020.

Edit: Going towards my first paragraph, Round Rock announced today their intention to seek a new affiliate. I think that'll set the table for the Astros to Round Rock and the Rangers to San Antonio.
 
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Taro Tsujimoto

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And here's a curveball. San Antonio has affiliated with the Brewers:



And as expected, Round Rock will affiliate with the Astros:



That leaves Washington and Texas needing affiliates with Fresno and Nashville available. So someone's going to have to be stuck with a far away AAA affiliate.
 
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garnetpalmetto

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garnetpalmetto

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Can triple a teams Swap leagues if the Nats wanted to buy the grizzles and move them east Triple-A (baseball) - Wikipedia the way it works now one a east cost teams will always be in the pcl league the Stripers and bats are close to some pcl league teams

In general, no. That said you did have a sort of shadow swap two years ago in High-A - the California League terminated the franchises for the Bakersfield Blaze and the High Desert Mavericks while the Carolina League expanded to Fayetteville and Kinston. It'd have to be something similar where a PCL franchise is terminated and an IL franchise is created. Barring that I suppose you could have a realignment like happened in Low-A when the Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Lake County Captains were realigned from the Sally League to the Midwest League. For that to happen, it'd have to be a team "on the cusp" as it were - Nashville being the most likely candidate. Not sure if it would ever happen but that's about the only way I could see it happening until there's expansion.

At any rate, Inland Empire (Hihg-A, California League) has renewed with the Angels through 2022.
 

garnetpalmetto

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It's been made official - Round Rock (Triple-A, Pacific Coast League) has signed a Player Development Contract with the Astros through 2022. And, in the process, unveiled new branding.

Round-Rock-logos.jpg


Round-rock-new.jpg


Also Clinton (Low-A, Midwest League) has signed a Player Development Contract with the Marlins through 2020. This represents a major shakeup as Clinton had been affiliated with the Mariners for the last decade while the Marlins had been affiliated with the Sally League's Greensboro Bats/Grasshoppers for 16 years. Seattle will now be looking for a new Low-A affiliate, as will Greensboro.
 

garnetpalmetto

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Jul 12, 2004
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Seattle Times sports writer Ryan Divish reporting that West Virginia (Low-A, South Atlantic League) has signed a Player Development Contract with the Mariners. Yet again, a major shakeup as West Virginia had been with the Pirates for the last decade and much of their branding was wrapped up in the Pirates given their proximity to Pittsburgh.

 
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