74 replies to this topic

[Chris B]

I thought that Low-A and High-A were going into a single A?

 

No - there will be four minor league classes: AAA, AA, HiA, LoA. They are eliminating the short-season and rookie leagues.

[Old Man]

No - there will be four minor league classes: AAA, AA, HiA, LoA. They are eliminating the short-season and rookie leagues.

and rookie league becomes extended spring training for those not assigned to a team?????????????????

[JeremyStrain]

Do they lose Nationals Fans in the Harrisburg area over this move, if it happens?

Yes, I am aware there are a lot of Oriole fans in middle PA.

I don’t think there are many honestly. I think there are minor league fans, that will root for whatever org their team belongs to and I think there are Phillies, Pirates, and Orioles fans though. I visit up there all the time, we go to Hershey a lot, and I hardly ever see any Nats fans.

[JeremyStrain]

and rookie league becomes extended spring training for those not assigned to a team?????????????????

Most teams are moving those to FL because if they are at or near their ST complex it doesn’t count cause they have to have that infrastructure already. So you’ll see some sort of SS/Rookie league but it’ll be basically games played out of extended ST.

[Why Not?]

My somewhat-educated guess for the Orioles affiliate is:

AAA- Norfolk

AA- Bowie

High-A- Aberdeen

Low-A Delmarva

 

I've lived for minor league affiliation shuffle for the past five years so I love following this stuff. I actually put together this Google Sheets so I can track all of the changes - one of the sheets is also my guess for where every team/org lands in regards to what teams are affiliated with what orgs and what level.

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

I'll also be updating as teams announce their minor league affiliations on BSL in this thread. The Yankees and Mets have kicked things off this week, and I expect most of the other teams will be announcing theirs in the coming weeks.

 

 

Thanks for starting that thread. 

 

RE: Low-A. The fact that NYY's low-A team will be in Tampa might tell us something about how things will be structured. One of MLB's priorities is saving travel costs.

 

There have been two consistent rumors. 1) Florida State League teams will move from High-A to Low-A and 2) The South Atlantic League as we know it will be not exist. If both of those things are true, it makes Delmarva's fate really unclear. They are too far north to be in a Florida-based league. 

[Old Man]

Thanks for starting that thread. 

 

RE: Low-A. The fact that NYY's low-A team will be in Tampa might tell us something about how things will be structured. One of MLB's priorities is saving travel costs.

 

There have been two consistent rumors. 1) Florida State League teams will move from High-A to Low-A and 2) The South Atlantic League as we know it will be not exist. If both of those things are true, it makes Delmarva's fate really unclear. They are too far north to be in a Florida-based league. 

Saving costs, sorry cant help myself sometimes

[JeremyStrain]

Thanks for starting that thread. 

 

RE: Low-A. The fact that NYY's low-A team will be in Tampa might tell us something about how things will be structured. One of MLB's priorities is saving travel costs.

 

There have been two consistent rumors. 1) Florida State League teams will move from High-A to Low-A and 2) The South Atlantic League as we know it will be not exist. If both of those things are true, it makes Delmarva's fate really unclear. They are too far north to be in a Florida-based league. 

Yeah I've heard a lot about those last two. That's kinda what I was talking about with the SS/Rookie stuff too. They are trying to cut down on travel, and keep things in regions. I expect them to start using all of the ML ST facilities for seasonal ball too. Doesn't make sense for so many teams to have full facilities ready for minor league ball just sitting there empty. Low A could become FL and AZ league, you've got extended ST for Rookie level already, keep the low A guys there too and they use the ML facilities to play their leagues?

 

Delmarva is def one on the chopping block.

 

I think they should throw out the seating requirements for each level. None of those teams are drawing max crowds nightly anyway. That would make it easier to group things regionally and create new leagues. Some teams will make out pretty well like the O's who have a lot of close regional connections. Some teams are going to have teams all over the map, but I think that's going to open a can of them dropping affiliation with some teams that deserve teams, to go for the closer stadium.

 

Like right now the Nats have:

AAA - Fresno

AA - Harrisburg

A - Fredericksburg

A - Hagerstown

GCL - West Palm Beach (ST Home, splits with Astros)

 

I could see that GCL team become their low A team in a FL low a league. Astros find a new ST home. Fresno goes bye bye - everyone else moves up a level. Like I said earlier, could also see them get in on Frederick if that becomes available and put $20m into upgrading. Harrisburg they've been with for decades, BUT that park needs upgrades too.

 

Harder to pin down for the O's cause all their teams are already local, and Norfolk and Bowie's parks were built the same year. Frederick is clearly the outlier, and Aberdeen is newer, but who knows what league Delmarva ends up in if they do reshuffle this SAL league. If another team out there swoops in and grabs say the Blue Crabs and makes them affiliated there's a newer stadium and it's in proximity enough that would work for a more regional Mid-Atlantic ish league...but do you have enough teams for that in A ball? Or do they get swallowed into the CAR league? What happens with my theory about the FL low A league and ST facilities?

 

I dunno...I wish they had done better planning.

[Old Man]

And where do the Blue Jays have their teams at? With the current boarder restrictions still cant travel to Canada. So maybe the Blues Jays are left homeless again?

[Why Not?]

Yeah I've heard a lot about those last two. That's kinda what I was talking about with the SS/Rookie stuff too. They are trying to cut down on travel, and keep things in regions. I expect them to start using all of the ML ST facilities for seasonal ball too. Doesn't make sense for so many teams to have full facilities ready for minor league ball just sitting there empty. Low A could become FL and AZ league, you've got extended ST for Rookie level already, keep the low A guys there too and they use the ML facilities to play their leagues?

 

Delmarva is def one on the chopping block.

 

I think they should throw out the seating requirements for each level. None of those teams are drawing max crowds nightly anyway. That would make it easier to group things regionally and create new leagues. Some teams will make out pretty well like the O's who have a lot of close regional connections. Some teams are going to have teams all over the map, but I think that's going to open a can of them dropping affiliation with some teams that deserve teams, to go for the closer stadium.

 

Like right now the Nats have:

AAA - Fresno

AA - Harrisburg

A - Fredericksburg

A - Hagerstown

GCL - West Palm Beach (ST Home, splits with Astros)

 

I could see that GCL team become their low A team in a FL low a league. Astros find a new ST home. Fresno goes bye bye - everyone else moves up a level. Like I said earlier, could also see them get in on Frederick if that becomes available and put $20m into upgrading. Harrisburg they've been with for decades, BUT that park needs upgrades too.

 

Harder to pin down for the O's cause all their teams are already local, and Norfolk and Bowie's parks were built the same year. Frederick is clearly the outlier, and Aberdeen is newer, but who knows what league Delmarva ends up in if they do reshuffle this SAL league. If another team out there swoops in and grabs say the Blue Crabs and makes them affiliated there's a newer stadium and it's in proximity enough that would work for a more regional Mid-Atlantic ish league...but do you have enough teams for that in A ball? Or do they get swallowed into the CAR league? What happens with my theory about the FL low A league and ST facilities?

 

I dunno...I wish they had done better planning.

 

Absolute speculation on my part, but there is such a plethora of potential spots for a geographically compact A-Level league: Frederick, Wilmington, Fredericksburg from Carolina League. Delmarva from SAL, Morgantown and Aberdeen from NYP, Indy League spots in Waldorf, York and Lancaster. You could reach a little bit north or south to get to 14 or 16 teams.

[BobPhelan]

I’d be happy to have Aberdeen be home to full season ball.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Yeah Id go to more Ironbird games if they were high A or above

[Old Man]

Yeah Id go to more Ironbird games if they were high A or above

Im pretty far south of the Ironbirds, to consider driving a couple of hours to watch a 3 hour game. Im a baseball fan, but I guess not diehard enough.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Im pretty far south of the Ironbirds, to consider driving a couple of hours to watch a 3 hour game. Im a baseball fan, but I guess not diehard enough.

Im about 20 min away. I could have went more but had little interest in watching short season ball and rarely any prospects.

[Old Man]

Im about 20 min away. I could have went more but had little interest in watching short season ball and rarely any prospects.

I guess thats why I liked Bowie, 20 min away, free parking, pretty cheap seats and a chance to see guys on their way up, or even on rehab from the parent club.

[Why Not?]

Houston announced they will be putting their AAA team in Sugar Land, previously an Indy league site. They will be the third team with AAA essentially in the same city as the MLB club (Atlanta's Gwinnett and Minnesota's St. Paul). Proximity seems to be of increasing importance. 

 

The Sugar Land ballpark seats 7,500, so it's possible that the old "AAA parks have to have 10,000 seats" rule might no longer be in effect. Or perhaps there will be some wiggle room to allow for construction of additional seating. If this is the case, I could see Aberdeen or Bowie playing at AAA in 2021.  

[Old Man]

Whats the Orioles contract situation with the Tides, how long are they signed up?

[Chris B]

Whats the Orioles contract situation with the Tides, how long are they signed up?

 

As far as I'm aware, any previous PBAs are basically going out the window this off-season. It's basically a free-for-all to be one of the 120 minor league teams for 2021. 

[Old Man]

As far as I'm aware, any previous PBAs are basically going out the window this off-season. It's basically a free-for-all to be one of the 120 minor league teams for 2021. 

I cant get a handle around that.

 

Legal signed contracts, are just tossed aside, because MLB says so?

[Why Not?]

I cant get a handle around that.

 

Legal signed contracts, are just tossed aside, because MLB says so?

 

No, the contracts have just expired. 

 

Not only have all of the individual contracts between affiliates and their MLB club expired, but MLB's agreements with Minor League Baseball as a whole are finished. Nobody is breaking contracts.

[Old Man]

No, the contracts have just expired. 

 

Not only have all of the individual contracts between affiliates and their MLB club expired, but MLB's agreements with Minor League Baseball as a whole are finished. Nobody is breaking contracts.

thanks