2018 Minor League Affiliation Chart

Even though it’s an odd-numbered year, we can still start tracking some of the movement on the upcoming Affiliation Shuffle. Keep this page bookmarked until the end of next season so you can stay abreast of what’s going on in the world of Player Development Contracts.

Sept. 18: Two short-season teams announced extensions to their PDCs  — the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League and the Boise Hawks in the Northwest League — starting the off-year cycle in earnest. Both PDCs were upped through the 2020 seasons. The Crosscutters have been in the NYPL since 1994 and has been affiliated with the Phillies since 2007. The team drew 61,082 fans to BB&T Ballpark at Bowman Field–and hosted a major league game–this year.

“The Phillies organization is extremely happy to extend our working agreement with the Williamsport Crosscutters. We look forward to continuing our great relationship with principal owner Peter Freund and the ownership group along with the front office staff and certainly the Williamsport community,” Phillies farm director Peter Freund said in a release. “This commitment recognizes a relationship that works not only for  our organization, our players and staff but also our Phillies fan base.”

The Hawks have been in the Northwest League since 1987, but their relationship with Rockies is fairly new. The team and affiliate hooked up after the 2014 season, when the Cubs moved from Boise to Eugene and the Padres shifted to Tri-City. In their third season with the Rockies, Boise drew 121,455 fans to Memorial Stadium, a 6.1-percent increase from 2016.

“We are extremely excited to extend our partnership with the Boise Hawks.” Rockies farm director Zach Wilson said in a release. “The organization, the city of Boise, and the fans have embraced us with open arms and we look forward to continuing our relationship and bringing great baseball to Boise for many years to come.” 

Oct. 25: The Augusta GreenJackets announced today a two-year extension of their PDC with the Giants. This makes obvious sense because Augusta is about to move into a brand-new stadium, which obviously is enticing for a major league club looking for an attractive environment for its youngest players. The Giants have been affiliated with Augusta since 2005, and 2018 will be their 14th season together.

“The Giants have been the longest tenured affiliation in GreenJackets history and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with them,” GreenJackets president Jeff Eiseman said in a press release. “This is an exciting time in GreenJackets history and we look forward to providing a venue for the new wave of Giants prospects to pave the way to San Francisco.”

Nov. 8: In a move that surprises nobody, the Indians renewed their partnership with the Columbus Clippers for another two seasons. Besides having one of the best parks in the minors, Columbus provides Cleveland a very convenient location for its Triple-A team. The cities are just more than 2 hours apart, making it an easy trip whenever the Indians need to bring up a prospect on short notice.

“The Indians are extremely excited to again extend our relationship with the Columbus Clippers. The Clippers organization has created a first-class, Major League environment for our players and staff,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “That, coupled with a state-of-the-art facility in Huntington Park and passionate fan base, make this a unique and lasting relationship.  We look forward to the continued success of our partnership.”

Columbus finished third in the IL in attendance with 616,059 fans, an improvement of 2.3 percent on their total for 2016. They join Lehigh Valley, Indianapolis and Charlotte as IL teams with PDCs extended past 2018.

Nov. 8: Both teams with Ohio-based parent clubs decided to re-up their PDCs today. Hours after Columbus announced their extension, the Louisville Bats did the same. The Bats and the Reds will continue their relationship through 2020.

“The Reds are extremely excited to extend our partnership with the Louisville Bats,” farm director Jeff Graupe said in a statement. “We look forward to the challenge of returning to the International League postseason and understand the responsibility to provide improved on-field performance in 2018 in an effort to reward a tremendous fan base.”

The Bats have played all of their 19 seasons at Louisville Slugger Field as a Reds affiliate. Louisville finished eighth in the IL in attendance this year, and their overall mark of 467,024 fans was down 7.7 percent from last season’s total.

Nov. 29: In one of least surprising bits of affiliation news of the offseason, the Durham Bulls announced the Rays have re-upped their PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. Those two extra seasons will bring the partnership to 23 years, the third-longest in the International League.

“We are excited to extend our agreement with the Durham Bulls once again,” Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in a release. “The Bulls have always been a first-class organization, and our players and staff feel at home in the Triangle area. As our relationship enters its third decade, we are proud to call the Durham Bulls our friends and partners.”

The move leaves seven clubs in the IL with PDCs that expire after next year. The only one with a known impending change is Syracuse, which will become a Mets affiliate in 2019, after New York moves out of Las Vegas.

Dec. 12: The Hartford Yard Goats announced on Tuesday morning that their parent club, the Colorado Rockies, had extended their PDC for an additional two years. After a series of delays, the Yard Goats opened Dunkin’ Donuts Park last season and finished third in the Eastern League in attendance.

“We are delighted to extend our affiliation with the Colorado Rockies,” Yard Goats President Tim Restall said.  “The Yard Goats and Rockies share the same sentiment in being involved in the local community, which is one of the reasons this relationship works so well.  Our players have been wonderful ambassadors in Greater Hartford and have engaged our fans both inside and outside of Dunkin’ Donuts Park.  The Rockies strong farm system will allow our fans to continue to see some of baseball’s biggest prospects play in Hartford.”

With the agreement, six of the 12 Eastern League teams have agreements locked up in advance of next season’s Affiliation Shuffle.

 

Jan. 5: In a move that should come as no surprise, the Red Sox have extended their PDC with Pawtucket another two seasons. It remains to be seen whether the team will remain in Pawtucket past this season, but wherever it winds up it will affiliate with Boston.

“All of us in the Red Sox Family are proud that this affiliation is the longest in the International League,” PawSox president Dan Rea said. “PawSox fans are Red Sox fans and Red Sox fans are PawSox fans. The PawSox organization looks forward to continuing its legacy of affordable family entertainment while preparing young stars for the bright lights of Fenway Park.”

The Red Sox and Pawtucket have affiliated with one another since 1973, when the franchise was born. Even with all the tumult surrounding the team, this agreement seemed extremely likely to remain intact.

Jan. 5: The Red Sox didn’t stop with Pawtucket. The team also extended its PDC with its short-season affiliate, the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League. As was the case with Pawtucket, Boston has affiliated with Lowell since the team’s inception in 1996. This did not seem likely to change.

“We are proud to extend our relationship with the Boston Red Sox who have been an integral part of our family for the last 22 years and counting!” Spinners owner Dave Heller said. “Fans throughout Red Sox nation know Lowell as a place where many Red Sox greats have begun their professional careers and with key additions and renovations to our ballpark over the past several years and years to come, we look forward to continuing our relationship as a member of one of the most storied franchises in all of baseball!”

Jan. 17: The Tigers have agreed to extend their PDC with their short-season affiliate in the New York-Penn League, the Connecticut Tigers, for another two seasons. With that announcement, there are now three teams in the NYPL with PDCs that push past the 2018 season–Williamsport, Lowell and Connecticut. This discounts Staten Island, which is a permanent Yankees affiliate.

“We take great pride in our strong working relationship with the Detroit Tigers and are extremely excited to remain a part of that family,”Connecticut Tigers general manager Dave Schermerhorn said. “We are very fortunate to be affiliated with a Major League club with the history and tradition of the Tigers. From top to bottom they are a world-class organization and we are thrilled to be able to continue to provide Tigers baseball for the fans of Southeastern Connecticut for years to come.”

Jan 26: The Vancouver Canadians and Blue Jays will be together for a long time. The team announced today that it had extended its partnership with Toronto for four more seasons, through 2022. The two teams have been affiliates since 2011. 

Feb. 6: The Nationals announced on Tuesday that they had agreed to extend their PDC with Double-A Harrisburg for another two seasons. The two clubs have been affiliated since 2005, and Harrisburg was affiliated with the Expos for the 14 seasons prior to the franchise’s move.

“Dating back nearly 30 years – the Harrisburg Senators have been a valuable component of our player development system,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said. “From a baseball standpoint, City Island serves as a breeding ground for some of our organization’s most talented players.”

With Harrisburg’s agreement, just three Eastern League clubs remain with PDCs that expire after the 2018 season–Altoona, New Hampshire and Bowie.

Feb. 6: The El Paso Chihuahuas and San Diego Padres made it a pair of Triple-A clubs extending their PDCs on Tuesday. With the new agreement, El Paso will be a Padres affiliate through 2020.

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Padres for two additional seasons and to be a part of an organization which has one of the best and most touted group of minor league players in the game,” MountainStar Sports Group president Alan Ledford said. “We can’t wait to welcome these exciting players and introduce them to the best fans in Minor League Baseball. We appreciate the remarkable relationship we have developed with Ron Fowler, Tom Seidler, A.J. Preller and the entire organization.”

With the agreement, eight Pacific Coast League teams are attached to their parent clubs beyond the 2020 season: El Paso, Albuquerque (Rockies), Iowa (Cubs), New Orleans (Marlins), Sacramento (Giants), Salt Lake (Angels), Memphis (Cardinals), Oklahoma City (Dodgers). At least one team in the PCL–Las Vegas–will be seeking a new affiliate come 2019.

Feb. 8: The Mets jumped in the fray on Thursday when they announced they’d extended their player development contract with low Class A Columbia through 2020. The Fireflies are entering their third season after moving from Savannah, Ga. into brand new Spirit Communications Park.

“We’re excited to extend our relationship with the New York Mets through 2020,” Fireflies team President John Katz said. “We’ve had a terrific working relationship with the Mets for over a decade, and we look forward to watching their future stars play here at Spirit Communications Park.”With the agreement, all of the Mets’ minor league affiliates are settled through 2020.

Feb. 21: The Montgomery Biscuits announced on Wednesday they’d announced an extension of their PDC with the Rays through 2020. The two clubs have been linked since 2004, so it was always likely that the partnership would continue.

“The Tampa Bay Rays cherish their relationship with the Montgomery Biscuits and the City of Montgomery”, Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said in a release. “We are looking forward to continuing the relationship for years to come.”

With the agreement, six of the 10 teams in the Southern League have PDCs through the 2020 season.

March 6: The New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Toronto Blue Jays have extended their PDC through 2020. The Fisher Cats have been a Blue Jays affiliate since they debuted in 2004.

March 14: The Lansing Lugnuts and the Toronto Blue Jays have extended their PDC through 2020. The Lugnuts have been a Blue Jays affiliate since 2005. With the announcement, the Blue Jays only two remaining affiliates whose PDCs expire in 2018 are Vancouver and Buffalo.

April 5: The Frisco RoughRiders announced today that they’d extended their PDC with the Rangers for another two seasons. The Rangers have been Frisco’s only affiliate since the team’s inception in 2003. 

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the Rangers for the next six years,” RoughRiders president Scott Sonju said in a relese. “RoughRiders fans are of course Rangers fans and we look forward to seeing the future of the Rangers as they come through Frisco.”

May 4: The Buffalo Bisons announced today at they had reached an agreement to extend their PDC with the Blue Jays for two more seasons. The two have been paired together since 2013. 

“Having a strong Major League parent club that is willing to support our efforts both on the field and off is extremely important to our overall success and the Toronto Blue Jays have been and continue to be a fantastic partner of ours since day one,” Bisons vice president/general manager Mike Buczkowski said. “We’re looking forward to continuing this relationship and bringing the excitement of both our clubs to the great baseball fans in western New York, southern Ontario and in Toronto.”

May 13: The Asheville Tourists today announced their partnership with the Rockies will continue for two more seasons. The club became a Rockies’ affiliate in 1994.

“We are thrilled and grateful to once again extend our longstanding partnership with the Asheville Tourists and we look forward to continuing to bring exciting baseball to this beautiful city while also positively impacting this wonderful community off the field,” Rockies farm director Zach Wilson said.

May 31: The Reno Aces announced today that they’d extended their partnership with the Diamondbacks for another two seasons. The two clubs have been together since 2009. 

“We are excited to extend our affiliation with the Reno Aces, who have been a terrific partner for the last 10 years,” Diamondbacks vice-president of player development Mike Bell said. “The Aces’ ownership, front office and Reno community provide a major league facility and player experience that is crucial in the development of our players.”

July 11: The Norfolk Tides and Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday that they’d agreed to extend their partnership for two more seasons, until 2020. 

“Extending our relationship with the Baltimore Orioles was a no-brainer” Tides President Ken Young said in a release. “Our partnership with Baltimore has been successful not only on the field of play, but in the Hampton Roads community as well. We’re thrilled to continue to be the top affiliate of such an outstanding organization.”

Norfolk and Baltimore have affiliated with one another since 2007. The move leaves just Rochester (Twins) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) with PDCs that expire after 2018. It seems unlikely that either organization will change affiliations.

July 11: Make it a two-fer in Birdland. The Orioles also announced today that they’d agreed to a two-year PDC extension with their low Class A affiliate in Delmarva. 

“We at the Delmarva Shorebirds are thrilled to continue this long-standing partnership with the Baltimore Orioles,” Shorebirds GM Chris Bitters said. “Salisbury and the entire Delmarva region are part of the heart of Birdland, and we look forward to hosting and developing the next generation of Orioles for years to come.”

The two sides have been affiliated since 1997.  The move leaves Hagerstown (Nationals), Kannapolis (White Sox), Lexington (Royals) and West Virginia (Pirates) as the only South Atlantic League clubs with PDCs that expire after 2018. 

July 11: Why not get everything done at once? The Orioles announced on Wednesday that, in addition to Delmarva and Norfolk, they’d extended their PDCs will *all* off their clubs. Besides Norfolk and Delmarva, that list includes Double-A Bowie, high Class A Frederick and short-season Aberdeen. 

“We look forward to continuing our association with each of these clubs and are very pleased with the strong working relationship we have built over the years,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement. “It’s mutually beneficial to have all of our affiliates located in the Mid-Atlantic region, allowing our fans an opportunity to see the Orioles stars of the future in their own backyard before they join the Major League club. Each organization has proven to be an outstanding fit for the Orioles and will continue to help us build a championship club and expand the development of our players.”

With Bowie’s renewal, the Eastern League is now completely locked and loaded for the next two seasons. The league will remain static.

Lynchburg (Indians), Wilmington (Royals) and Potomac (Nationals) expire after this season in the Carolina League, though Potomac just began the process of moving into a new stadium in Fredericksburg, Va.

In the Penn League, Batavia (Marlins), State College (Cardinals), Tri-City (Astros) and Vermont (Athletics) remain up for grabs. 

July 13: The Hillsboro Hops announced on Friday that they had extended their partnership with the Diamondbacks for two more seasons. 

“The Arizona Diamondbacks are excited to extend our relationship with the Hillsboro Hops,” D-Backs  general manager, Mike Hazen said “Mike and Laura McMurray and K.L. Wombacher have built a first-class organization that we’re proud to be affiliated with. The support from the Hillsboro community is unrivaled in Minor League Baseball, and it is an excellent starting point for many of our young players.”

Including time with the Yakima Bears before the franchise moved to Hillsboro, the Diamondbacks and Hops have been together since 2001. 

With the news, just four of the eight teams in the Northwest League remain with PDCs that expire after 2018: Eugene (Cubs), Spokane (Rangers), Salem-Keizer (Giants) and Vancouver (Blue Jays).

Aug. 1: The Tigers and West Michigan Whitecaps today announced that they’d extended their partnership for two more seasons, through 2022. The teams had already re-upped through 2020, but this move helps them avoid another dance two years from now. 

“We have had a great relationship with the Tigers. We’ve seen many great players come through here and have had several great teams.” West Michigan GM Jarecki said in a statement.  “They have also understood and have been extremely supportive of our community efforts. We are excited to be extending our player development contract to 2022. This extension assures Whitecaps fans of seeing the best future talent of the Detroit Tigers.”

In all the minor leagues, just four teams have PDCs extended beyond 2020: The Altoona Curve (Pirates), Trenton Thunder (Yankees), Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) and West Michigan. 

Aug. 1: The Rochester Red Wings and Twins announced Wednesday that they’d agreed to renew their PDC for two more seasons, through the 2020 season. 

“The Minnesota Twins have been blessed to partner with the Rochester Red Wings since 2003. In the last fifteen-plus years, we have forged a tremendous relationship with the Red Wings, the city of Rochester, Dan Mason, Naomi Silver, the Silver family, and Gary Larder,” Twins GM Derek Falvey said in a statement. “We are proud to count Naomi, Dan, and Gary as members of the Minnesota Twins family and the city of Rochester as an extension of Twins Territory. We are excited about what we can accomplish together moving forward.”

With the agreement, only the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees) are left with a PDC that expires after this season, but they are partly owned by the Yankees, so a renewal is a formality. Syracuse was purchased by the Mets and will affiliate with them starting in 2019. Thus, the International League appears to be nailed down for the next two years. 

Aug. 4: The Cubs and Eugene Emeralds announced on Saturday that the two clubs had agreed to extend their partnership for four more years, through 2022. With the agreement, more than half of the NWL is locked up past this season. The three remaining clubs are: Tri-City (Padres), Spokane (Rangers) and Salem-Keizer (Volcanoes).

Aug. 7: The Rockies and Lancaster Jethawks announced today that they’d extended their PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Lancaster JetHawks and look forward to continuing to provide exciting baseball on the field as well as impacting the community off the field,” Rockies farm director Zach Wilson said. “We thank the fans and the JetHawks family for their continued support of our minor league players and staff and the Colorado Rockies organization.”

With the agreement, four teams in the California League have PDCs that expire after 2018: Inland Empire (Angels), Lake Elsinore (Padres), Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers) and Visalia (Diamondbacks). Stockton’s PDC with the A’s has been extended through 2020.

Aug. 9: The A’s and Vermont Lake Monsters today announced that they’d extended their PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“The Lake Monsters are thrilled to continue our relationship with the Oakland Athletics,”  Lake Monsters general manager Joe Doud said in a statement. “There are not enough positive things we can say about the A’s and they are a great organization to be affiliated with. We look forward to continuing to be one of the first steps in Professional Baseball for their players as they begin their path to become major leaguers.”

The move leaves just three teams in the short-season New York-Penn League with PDCs that expire after 2018: Batavia (Marlins), State College (Cardinals) and Tri-City (Astros). 

Aug. 10: The Arkansas Travelers on Friday announced that the Mariners had renewed their PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“We are extremely pleased to extend our player development contract with the Seattle Mariners for two seasons through 2020,” Travelers President Russ Meeks said. “The Mariners are a first class organization with wonderful leadership. Jerry Dipoto and Andy McKay have ensured we have a quality product on the field and outstanding people off the field and in the community.”

This moves leaves three teams in the Texas League with PDCs that expire after the 2018 season: Midland (Athletics), San Antonio (which becoming a Triple-A team and being replaced in the Texas League by Amarillo) and Tulsa (Dodgers). 

Aug. 10: The State College Spikes announced late Friday that they had agreed with the Cardinals to renew the two clubs’ PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“We are excited to continue our partnership with a first-class organization in the St. Louis Cardinals,” Spikes chairman and managing partner Chuck Greenberg said.  “The Cardinals have provided a great on-field product for our fans, and have also provided tremendous support to our community outreach and promotional efforts. We look forward to what the relationship with the Cardinals will provide for fans in the future.”

The move leaves just two New York-Penn League franchises with PDCs that need renewing: Batavia (Marlins) and Tri-City (Astros). 

Aug. 20: The Visalia Rawhide announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement to extend their PDC with the Diamondbacks for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“We are excited to announce that we have extended our partnership with the Visalia Rawhide for at least the next two years,” Diamondbacks farm director Mike Bell said. “Tom Seidler and Jennifer Reynolds have worked hard along with the city of Visalia to continue to improve the Recreation Park. Visalia is a terrific community, one that we are proud to be a part of.”

The move leaves three California League teams with PDCs that end after 2018: Inland Empire (Angels), Lake Elsinore (Padres) and Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers). It also leaves low Class A Kane County as the lone D-Backs affiliate with a PDC expiring after 2018. 

Aug. 23: The Angels announced on Thursday that they’d entered into a four-year extension of their PDC with the Mobile BayBears, who will move to Madison, Ala., after the 2019 season. The agreement will take the two clubs through 2022. 

“We are very excited to continue our relationship with the BayBears franchise, as well as with the fans all throughout the state of Alabama,” Angels GM Billy Eppler said. “We would like to thank Ralph Nelson, Roger Wexelberg, and their staff for their efforts throughout this process. The community and front office in Mobile have been great assets for our organization’s player development process over the last two years, and we look forward to continuing our partnership for many years to come in the great community of North Alabama.”

The move leaves three teams in the Southern League with PDCs that expire after the 2018 season: Chattanooga (Twins), Pensacola (Reds) and Tennessee (Cubs). 

Aug. 31: The Tri-City ValleyCats announced on Friday that they’d renewed their PDC with the Astros for two more seasons, through 2020. The pair has been together since 2002, making Tri-City the longest-tenured affiliate in the Astros’ system.

“The Tri-City ValleyCats are the premier organization in the New York-Penn League,” Astros president of business pperations Reid Ryan said. “They have been instrumental in our player development process over the last 17 seasons. We are honored to continue this affiliation with the ValleyCats and the Gladstone family.”

With the deal, the Batavia MuckDogs (Marlins) are the only team remaining in the NYPL with a PDC that expires after 2018. Indications are that the Marlins will remain in Batavia, so it seems unlikely that the league will undergo any changes over the next two seasons. 

Aug. 31: The Lake County Captains announced on Friday that they’d renewed their PDC with the Indians for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“We value the long-standing relationship with the Captains and are proud of the role the Captains play in providing a positive and optimal environment for our players as they work toward becoming Cleveland Indians,” farm director James Harris said. “We look forward to continuing the relationship for years to come.”

The move leave Beloit (A’s), Burlington (Angels), Great Lakes (Dodgers) and Kane County (D-Backs) as the four teams in the Midwest League with PDCs that expire after this season. 

Sept. 2: The Quad Cities River Bandits and Astros on Sunday evening announced they’d reached an agreement to extend their PDC two more seasons, through 2020. 

“The Midwest League Champion River Bandits are pleased to extend our Player Development Contract with the world champion Houston Astros for another two years,” Bandits’ owner Dave Heller said. “We are two championship organizations, each playing in a championship community, each currently driving for another title, and we are a great fit together.”

The agreement leaves four Midwest League teams—Beloit (A’s), Burlington (Angels), Great Lakes (Dodgers) and Kane County (D-Backs)—with PDCs that expire after this season. 

Sept. 3: The Nationals spent their Labor Day announcing PDC renewals for their two A-ball clubs in the South Atlantic and Carolina Leagues. Hagerstown and Potomac will stay Nationals affiliates for the next two seasons at least. Potomac, notably, is planning a move to Fredericksburg, Va., in the coming years. 

“Potomac and Hagerstown are tremendous assets to our player development system,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said. “Their dedication to helping develop major leaguers and their assistance in rehabbing our injured players is second to none. We are happy to be able to continue working with each respective organization.”

Sept. 5: The Dodgers on Wednesday announced PDC renewals for all four of their full-season affiliates. That list includes Oklahoma City (Pacific Coast), Tulsa (Texas), Rancho Cucamonga (California) and Great Lakes (Midwest). 

Sept 5: The Royals also announced today they’d extended their PDC with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the club’s high Class A affiliate in the Carolina League, for two more seasons. 

“We are very happy to announce the extension of our PDC with the Wilmington Blue Rocks,” Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We have always coveted our relationship with the Blue Rocks and are very appreciative of the efforts of Dave Heller (President and CEO, Main Street Baseball and Blue Rocks’ Managing Partner), general manager Andrew Layman and everyone on the Blue Rocks’ staff, their fans, the Delaware Stadium Corporation and the state of Delaware through the years. The Blue Rocks have been a great partner and they continue to make Frawley Stadium a great place for our players to develop.”

Sept. 6: The Angels announced PDC extensions today with two of their affiliates, the Rookie-level Orem Owlz (Pioneer) and the low Class A Burlington Bees (Midwest), meaning that the only Angels affiliate remaining with a PDC expiring after this season is high Class A Inland Empire. 

Sept. 10: The Lynchburg Hillcats announced on Monday that the Indians had extended their PDC for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“Since our partnership with Cleveland began, we have had nothing but positive interaction with our parent club,” Hillcats president Chris Jones said in a statement. “We are proud to continue this relationship, and play a role in helping these young players reach the Major Leagues with the Indians. We always anticipated a PDC extension, and the news already heightens our excitement for the 2019 season.”

With the move, the Carolina League is closed for this version of the Affiliation Shuffle. There will be no changes this time around. 

Sept. 11: The Daytona Tortugas announced on Tuesday that they’d reached an agreement to renew their PDC with the Reds for two more seasons, through 2020. 

“The Reds are very excited to extend our partnership with the Daytona Tortugas,” Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said in a statement. “We’ve been very happy with the ownership group of Reese Smith, Bob Fregolle, and Rick French, as well as the Tortugas front office staff, and the wonderful fans in Daytona.”

With the announcement, just Fort Myers (Twins) and Bradenton (Pirates) remain with PDCs that need to be extended. Given that both of those teams play at their parent club’s spring training homes, it’s fairly safe to say the FSL will undergo no changes over the next two seasons. 

Sept. 13: In the least surprising move of the shuffle, the Tacoma Rainiers on Thursday announced the Mariners had re-upped their PDC for four more seasons, through 2022.

“The Mariners are excited to be able to extend our relationship with the Rainiers,” Mariners farm director Andy McKay said. “The Rainiers have consistently demonstrated their commitment to providing the best possible environment for our prospects to develop, as well as providing an opportunity for baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest to meet the next generation of Mariners.” 

With the move, the Pacific Coast League is mostly closed for business. The biggest dominoes left to fall are who winds up in Fresno (the bet here is the Brewers) and who lands in Vegas (we predict the A’s).

Sept. 17: Here we go. Now the real fun gets underway. The A’s on Monday announced they had reached an agreement to begin a new partnership with the Las Vegas (soon to be something other than the) 51s.  Given what was available in Triple-A (Fresno, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Round Rock), this move made the most sense because it accomplished two goals: It got the team’s prospects much closer to home and it kept them in a brand-new ballpark. Vegas president Don Logan laid out the thinking in a press release.

“We are excited to have the Oakland A’s as our new major league affiliate,” Logan said. “I have known Billy (Beane) for a long time and consider him a friend. The relationship with the A’s goes back to the 1990’s when they played regular season games in Las Vegas (1996).

“The A’s have enjoyed great success at the Triple-A level with their minor league system which has been second to none. The new PDC will provide a tremendous environment for the players with the state-of-the-art amenities that will enhance player development with the indoor hitting cages, mounds and workout areas in the Las Vegas Ballpark.

 “The proximity with the Bay Area to Las Vegas will also provide the opportunity to move players much easier regarding the roster transactions from the Triple-A to the Major League level. McCarran International Airport has non-stop flights to the numerous PCL markets, as well as the big cities, that enables our team to have the best travel in the 16-team league.”

The move leaves the Astros, Rangers, Brewers and Nationals jockeying for position in the four markets previously mentioned. 

Sept. 18: In the biggest plot twist of the Affiliation Shuffle, the San Antonio Missions today announced they’d reached a two-year PDC agreement with the Brewers. Prevailing thought in the industry had been that San Antonio, which is moving up a level from Double-A to Triple-A (while Amarillo moves into the Texas League), would wind up with either the Rangers or the Astros as its affiliate. Instead, the Brewers stayed with the Elmore Sports Group, which owned Milwaukee’s previous Triple-A home in Colorado Springs and also owns San Antonio, for two more seasons. 

“We are very excited to be working with the Milwaukee Brewers,” Missions president Burl Yarbrough said in a statement announcing the PDC. “With our promotion to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, they will be terrific partners as we begin a new era of Missions baseball in 2019. The Brewers were in town last week to see our facility and discuss our renovation plans for the clubhouse and batting cages. After meeting with them and seeing their excitement for San Antonio, we feel the Brewers were the best fit for us. The Brewers have one of the top farm systems in baseball and we look forward to helping them put many more players into major league baseball.”

San Antonio had long been considered the least attractive of the remaining Triple-A sites (Fresno, Nashville and Round Rock are all that remain) because Wolff Stadium is a Double-A park and is need of upgrades. Now, the biggest subplot of the shuffle becomes the battle for Nashville, which boasts one of the best markets in the classification with a modern stadium. 

Sept. 18: More plot twists! The Triple-A version of this shuffle played out in a way that nearly nobody expected. The industry expected the Brewers to land in Fresno, but when that didn’t happen all bets were off. Milwaukee’s San Antonio PDC set off a domino effect that saw the Nationals land in Fresno and the Rangers in Nashville. The last shoe to drop will be Houston heading to Round Rock, which was widely expected but hasn’t been announced. 

“This is another thrilling new chapter for Fresno Grizzlies baseball. We can’t wait for the Nationals to get on the ground in central California and see everything this community has to offer,” Fresno team president Derek Franks said in a statement.  “Our new ownership group is continuing several upgrades to both the fan experience and baseball operations facets of Chukchansi Park that began during our previous PDC with Houston, including plans for a brand new playing surface in 2019.  I believe the Washington Nationals will find this a comfortable place to cultivate all of their young talent, and will see early on how committed the fans of “Growlifornia’ are to baseball in the Central Valley.”

Unfortunately for the Nationals, this move puts their Triple-A team in the least convenient spot left available. It means their prospects nearest to the majors will be as far from the big club as they have in the team’s history. The club had housed its Triple-A prospects at Syracuse since 2009, with the Columbus for 2007-2008 and with New Orleans from 2005-2006. When the Mets bought the Syracuse Chiefs before last season that meant the Nationals would be looking for a new affiliate for the first time in a decade. 

The International League was full, however, so the Nationals had to go back to the PCL. Logistically, Nashville made the most sense from a travel and facilities standpoint, and GM Mike Rizzo told reporters that it was his first choice. When the Rangers swooped in, however, that virtually sewed up the Nationals to Fresno. 

Landing in Nashville is a victory on two fronts for the Rangers: They avoid moving to San Antonio, which would mean playing Triple-A baseball in a Double-A park, and it keeps their team in an advantageous spot for travel purposes. Nashville is obviously farther from Arlington than San Antonio, but there are plenty of nonstop flights between the two cities. With that in mind, the modernity of First Tennessee Park appeared to take precedence over the proximity of San Antonio. 

The Sounds haven’t put out a release announcing the partnership, but the Rangers have acknowledged it through Twitter. The PDC is a four-year deal, stretching through 2022. 

Now the drama shifts to Double-A, where three teams remain with PDCs that expire in 2018: Chattanooga (Twins), Tennessee (Cubs) and Pensacola (Reds). Those three clubs, plus the Padres, who need a Double-A affiliate after San Antonio moved to the PCL, will jockey for those three affiliates, plus the new Texas League club set to begin play in Amarillo, Texas, in 2019. 

Sept. 19: The Everett Aquasox announced today that they’d reached an agreement with the Mariners to extend their PDC for two more years, through 2022. 

“We have truly hit it out-of-the-park with the Mariners these past 24 seasons.” Aquasox GM Danny Tetzlaff said in a statement. “The new playing surface installed this season gave the Mariners’ players a high-quality field to call home and a product our fans have come to love as weIl. can’t wait to share what we have in store for 2019.”

Three teams in the Northwest League remain with PDCs that expire this year: Salem-Keizer (Giants), Spokane (Rangers) and Tri-City (Padres). 

Sept. 19: The Inland Empire 66ers announced today that they and the Angels had reached an agreement to extend their PDC for another four seasons, through 2022. 

“The Los Angeles Angels are excited to extend our relationship with the Inland Empire 66ers for at least the next four seasons,” Angels farm director Mike LaCassa said. “This is a strong partnership and we’re grateful to Dave Elmore, Joe Hudson and the rest of the 66ers staff for their continued support.”

With the move, high Class A is essentially closed for the shuffle. The only teams left with PDCs left that expire in 2018 are the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) and Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays). They aren’t switching. 

Sept. 20: Round Rock on Thursday formally announced the inevitable. They’d signed a four-year PDC with the Astros, through the year 2022. In addition, they partnered with Brandiose to refresh their logos. There are no drastic changes, but the opportunity to sell new merchandise is there just the same. 

“This will be a great partnership for the Astros and the Express in a variety of ways,” Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan said. “We now have our two highest minor league affiliates back in Texas, which is great for our fans and, logistically, for our Major League club when promoting players. And, it should be a big plus for the Express on the field as well. As an organization, the Astros take a great deal of pride in our player development efforts, the results of which can be seen with the success of our minor league clubs and by our Major League club.” 

This move officially closes Triple-A for the 2018 shuffle.

Sept. 20: The Clinton Lumberkings on Thursday announced they’d reached a two-year PDC agreement with the Marlins, marking a departure from the Mariners after 10 seasons together. 

“The Clinton LumberKings are excited to welcome back to the Midwest League the Miami Marlins,” LumberKings General Manager Ted Tornow said. “This will give our knowledgeable fans a chance to look at the development of National League prospects for the first time in Clinton since 2002. We feel this will be a great partnership for success on the field, in the community, and for the development of these players”

The Mariners moved their team to West Virginia in the South Atlantic League, the former home of the Pirates’ low Class A affiliate, although the move has yet to be formally announced. It was reported by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. 

Sept. 21: The Greensboro Grasshoppers announced on Friday that they would become a Pirates affiliate. This comes after a 16-year affiliation with the Marlins. 

“We are proud to partner with an organization that has a long history of outstanding achievements. We look forward to working with Larry Broadway and his entire staff for the next two seasons. Our players will represent Pittsburgh and Greensboro very well on and off the field,” Grasshoppers president Donald Moore said. 

The moves leave four low Class A teams with PDC situations that need to be settled: Kane County (D-backs), Beloit (A’s), Kannapolis (White Sox) and Lexington (Royals).

Sept. 24: And now it’s official, the West Virginia Power announced on Monday that they’d reached an agreement with the Mariners on a two-year PDC, through 2020. 

“Joining the Seattle Mariners family is an exciting moment for our franchise,” Power executive vice president Ken Fogel said. “The Mariners boast a minor league system filled with talent that we cannot wait to showcase at Appalachian Power Park throughout 2019 and beyond. While we are grateful for the 10 years spent under the Pirates’ umbrella, we are excited to share this new opportunity with the city of Charleston and the surrounding fan base. We are confident that our partnership with the Mariners will bring unbridled success both on the field and in the community.”

Sept. 25: The Chattanooga Lookouts on Tuesday announced a two-year partnership with the Reds, ending a four-year partnership with the Twins. The team was previously affiliated with the Reds from 1988-2008. The team announced the move on Twitter.

Now it’s down to the Padres, Cubs and Twins for the three available spots in Double-A at Pensacola (SL), Tennessee (SL) and Amarillo (TL). 

Sept. 25: The Batavia MuckDogs made the inevitable official today, extending their PDC with the Marlins for another two seasons. They were the only team remaining in the New York-Penn League remaining with a PDC that expired this season, so this move was extremely likely. 

Oct. 1: We’re in the home stretch, people. Today the Padres announced they’d re-upped their PDCs with short-season Tri-City (Northwest League) and Lake Elsinore (California), moves that were highly expected. They also announced that they’d reached an agreement to become the Amarillo Baseball Club’s first parent club. 

“The San Diego Padres are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Elmore Sports Group as Double-A baseball returns to Amarillo,” farm director Sam Geaney said in a statement. “We’re excited to watch our talented farm system develop in a brand new ballpark and bring a Texas League championship back to Amarillo.”

Similarly, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos already have a Twins logo up on their site, which means the Cubs will be returning to Tennessee and Double-A is done for 2018.