MLB Proposes Drastic Restructuring of Minor League System (Baseball)

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[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Minor League Ball is under threat.

As many as 42 minor league teams would be stripped of their affiliation with MLB clubs under a proposal brought forward by the league, Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper reports.

The wide-ranging proposal was made during negotiations for a new agreement between MLB and Minor League Baseball. The current contract governing the partnership between the big leagues and the minors expires after the 2020 season.

*Under the proposal, the number of minor league clubs affiliated with MLB teams would be cut from 160 to 120. Two of those 120 teams would be the current independent franchises in Sugar Land, Tx., and St. Paul, Minn., Cooper reports, leaving 42 of MiLB’s current teams without ties to an MLB franchise. The teams at risk of losing their affiliation are those with facilities MLB has deemed to be sub-standard. *

[–]Nemacolin[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Here are the teams on the chopping block:

Appalachian League (advanced Rookie): Bluefield Blue Jays, Bristol Pirates, Burlington Royals, Danville Braves, Elizabethton Twins, Greeneville Reds, Johnson City Cardinals, Kingsport Mets, Princeton Rays

California League (advanced A): Lancaster Jethawks

Carolina League (advanced A): Frederick Keys

Eastern League (Double-A): Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Erie SeaWolves

Florida State League (advanced A): Daytona Tortugas, Florida Fire Frogs

Midwest League (full-season A): Burlington Bees, Clinton LumberKings, Quad Cities River Bandits

New York-Penn League (short-season A): Auburn Doubledays, Batavia Muckdogs, Connecticut Tigers, Lowell Spinners, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, Staten Island Yankees, Vermont Lake Monsters, Williamsport Crosscutters

Northwest League (short-season A): Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Tri-City Dust Devils

Pioneer League (advanced Rookie): Billings Mustangs, Grand Junction Rockies, Great Falls Voyagers, Idaho Falls Chukars, Missoula PaddleHeads, Ogden Raptors, Orem Owlz, Rocky Mountain Vibes

Southern League (Double-A): Chattanooga Lookouts, Jackson Generals South Atlantic League (full-season A): Hagerstown Suns, Lexington Legends, West Virginia Power