KevFu
Registered User
MLB's issue with the structure (which hasn't changed in like 60 years) is things like... the New Orleans Zephyrs owners are free to move to Wichita to get a new stadium and now the Miami Marlins prospects are 1,000 miles further away.
The 30 Triple A franchises have affiliation licenses and are guaranteed a Triple A team, which creates an offseason "Musical Chairs"
Minnesota switched the affiliation from AAA Edmonton to Rochester, NY and that meant someone in the East had to sign on with a PCL team instead of an IL team. (The Mets, Marlins and Nationals have all had to put their AAA teams in Las Vegas, now Washington is in Fresno).
Washington can't say "We're going to put our AAA team in Richmond, VA instead of in California, because DUH, that's smart and having our guys 3 time zones and 3727 miles away is not." Because Fresno is guaranteed a AAA team and Richmond has a AA license.
I think MLB totally bungled this, but the idea that minor leagues' natural evolution/mutation into their current configuration doesn't need to be radically reorganized and streamlined is totally crazy. Forget the 42-team affiliation thing for a second. Ask yourself two questions:
1. Should there be a radical realignment of the minor leagues with smaller geographically intelligent leagues to reduce travel for the players?
2. Should there be some kind of geo-restriction to the affiliation options for those franchises so we don't end up with Washington and Cincinnati minor leaguers in Fresno and Billings Montana, and Colorado minor leaguers in Hartford Connecticut?
The answer to each is an obvious Yes
The 30 Triple A franchises have affiliation licenses and are guaranteed a Triple A team, which creates an offseason "Musical Chairs"
Minnesota switched the affiliation from AAA Edmonton to Rochester, NY and that meant someone in the East had to sign on with a PCL team instead of an IL team. (The Mets, Marlins and Nationals have all had to put their AAA teams in Las Vegas, now Washington is in Fresno).
Washington can't say "We're going to put our AAA team in Richmond, VA instead of in California, because DUH, that's smart and having our guys 3 time zones and 3727 miles away is not." Because Fresno is guaranteed a AAA team and Richmond has a AA license.
I think MLB totally bungled this, but the idea that minor leagues' natural evolution/mutation into their current configuration doesn't need to be radically reorganized and streamlined is totally crazy. Forget the 42-team affiliation thing for a second. Ask yourself two questions:
1. Should there be a radical realignment of the minor leagues with smaller geographically intelligent leagues to reduce travel for the players?
2. Should there be some kind of geo-restriction to the affiliation options for those franchises so we don't end up with Washington and Cincinnati minor leaguers in Fresno and Billings Montana, and Colorado minor leaguers in Hartford Connecticut?
The answer to each is an obvious Yes