Brewers and their Affiliates - Player Development Contracts

[FVBrewerFan]

Even better, AAA Appleton and Low-A Franklin, Mequon, or Waukesha

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County is official - two years through 2016.

 

By far the best broadcast coverage in the Florida State League, so that's good for us here.

[Mass Haas]

Four year agreement with Biloxi rather than two a very nice reward for the Brewers patience with the Huntsville situation all these years.

 

Tweet from Brewers Player Development

[Mass Haas]

At AAA, it's down to just Fresno and Colorado Springs for the Brewers and Astros to bargain over, as the Rockies apparently are moving on to Albuquerque.

[jerichoholicninja]

Might as well go to Colorado Springs so everyone gets even more excited about Roache and Coulter.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

3 or 3.5 (?) years at the new facility in Biloxi is a good reward for enduring Huntsville.

 

I suppose taking Fresno for two years and looking to hit one of the 2016 free agent affiliates may be the best of some not-so-great choices.

[dacbrewers]

Why would a major league team want a AAA team in Fresno unless your team is on the west coast? It make no sense for the Brewers to be in Fresno. I was really hoping for Albuquerque as opposed to the other two places left. Well, from a AAA players standpoint, the housing will be cheaper in Fresno.

[trwi7]

Why would a major league team want a AAA team in Fresno unless your team is on the west coast? It make no sense for the Brewers to be in Fresno. I was really hoping for Albuquerque as opposed to the other two places left. Well, from a AAA players standpoint, the housing will be cheaper in Fresno.

 

If the options are Fresno and Colorado Springs, then Fresno is the better option facilities wise. Neither are close to Milwaukee, so that doesn't really matter.

 

Now, if they wanted to buy a team and move it somewhere else, Colorado Springs would be a better option but I don't see the Brewers doing that.

 

Take a 2 year deal with Fresno and try again in 2016. Hopefully back to the International League and more neutral environments.

[TheCrew07]

Well if the choices are CO or CA then from a purely selfish perspective I'd like Colorado Springs but in the end I guess it doesn't matter, being on that side of the PCL means way too many late nights regardless. It will be very difficult to listen to full broadcasts... I like the idea of a short partnership (2 year) and then trying to get back to the IL to have all of the games in the East or Central time zones.

 

I wish the Brewers could buy into a franchise and relocate it closer to home but I don't see any geographic region in the state where a AAA team would be successful. The T-Rats drew 250,000+ fans this season which was great for A ball, but that was still just 7th in the ML. It would be awesome in the Brewers bought into or the franchise outright in Mobile, which would give stability in a brand new facility for years to come.

 

I'm really into the idea of the Brewers cementing relationships when they finally get into a good situations like with the T-Rats and hopefully in Mobile. The affiliation with the T-Rats has been good for everyone, why not make in permanent?

[Invader3K]

Adam McCalvy and other reporting that the Sounds will be going with a new MLB team in 2015, just as they will be moving into a new stadium. Seems like poor form on the Sounds' part. They will become an affiliate of the Oakland A's.

 

Fresno and Colorado Springs are the only options for the Brewers at this point.

 

Edit : in a followup Tweet, McCalvy says Melvin is calling the Sounds' handling of the situation "hogwash". Brewers have a right to feel miffed, as they stayed in Nashville for years with inadequate Greer Stadium.

[AZBrewCrew]

Yeah that is bravo sierra. New stadium and the Brewers get the boot

[jerichoholicninja]

Not sure why this is a problem. The contract was up, everyone was free to do what they want. If Milwaukee wasn't happy with their stadium they didn't have to keep renewing it.

[patrickgpe]

brewers helped get the new stadium and also probably stuck around longer in hopes of getting the new stadium. I don't really care that Nashville left, and by all reports Fresno has a nice facility and only issue is getting flights out of their airport.It was nice though to be so close to Milwaukee.

 

I know the brewers minor league system is not a top one anymore, but Huntsville had a good year.

 

I know this happens all of the time and Nashville was under no obligation to renew with Milwaukee, but its still a little busch league.

[MLS1965]

Many here know I was a long time season ticket holder and last year gave them up mainly because I moved much further away from the stadium. I was shocked when no one from the management ever contacted me to ask why I was giving up my seats after so many years...and even more so when the new pricing came out. My seats would have gone from $700 a year to $1000 a year, and a long time season ticket holding retired couple close by went from $700 a year to $1800 EACH. From what I've heard many of the season ticket holders have passed on renewing.

[Polish Falcons]

I just read a report that the Giants might stick with the Grizzlies. City of Fresno's mayor is involved however, so it might just be politics. It may be two weeks until we hear a decision.

 

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2014/09/15/3850467_giants-grizzlies-fresno-remain.html?rh=1

 

I live in CA now and I would check out a game if the AAA Brewers come to Fresno, so I'm hoping for this to happen. But I got a feeling the Brew Crew land in Colorado.

[WV Brew]

According to today's JS, the Brewers offered to buy an ownership interest and include an exhibition Brewers game in Nashville. I don't know what else they could have done. There is obviously bad blood between Melvin and the Nashville ownership now. By not announcing this earlier, Nashville really limited the Brewers' choices which was unfair.

[patrickgpe]

by all accounts the brewers would have wanted to change affiliation with Albuquerque, because they have the same owners as the new Biloxi franchise. This is no longer possible as they have already gotten affiliation for 2015. Nashville obviously has don't nothing wrong, but they really did not do the brewers right after a 12 year partnership when Nashville was maybe the least desirable triple a franchise.

[AlMaFi]

I've been racking my brain to think of why the Sounds would want to go through all the trouble of switching to Oakland over Milwaukee. I can think of two possible reasons.

 

1. The Billy Beane prospect effect. The A's have scouted good players in recent years and that usually contributes to winning clubs in the minors.....except Beane has a tendency to trade away top prospects. Addison Russell and Billy McKinney will not be Sounds. Quad-A guys like Michael Choice and Grant Green haven't been allowed to just linger in Triple-A racking up wins for the minor league team. If this is a factor, it must be reputation rather than results.

 

2. American League neutrality. Every baseball fandom map will tell you that Tennessee baseball fans largely cheer for two NL franchises: St. Louis and Atlanta. Many potential Sounds fans would probably rather cheer for an A's affiliate than a Brewers affiliate.

 

Still...I'm not sure if any reasoning is sound enough to sever ties with a pro club that has shown loyalty through adverse times. Of course it's a free market and the Sounds can work within the rules, but it's still a little baffling. Why the hell did they invite Brewers brass to the groundbreaking ceremony?

[Teatoe993]

I'm selfishly hoping in goes to Colorado Springs. I was a kid living there when they built the stadium in the late eighties. Sky Sox games were the first baseball games I ever went to. They were a Cleveland affiliate back then. I remember getting to see Albert Belle and those other Indians stars play before the Indians called them up. It'll give me an excuse to dig up some old Sky Sox caps out of my dad's basement.

 

One concern I would have with Colorado Springs is the fact that the elevation there is even higher than Denver. That can't be good for the pitchers we're trying to develop.

[reillymcshane]

Selfishly, I'm hoping Colorado Springs. I live about 40 minutes from there, so I could actually go to some games.

 

But in all honesty, I hate teams that play in weird environments. Statistics get so warped, you often don't really know who's actually doing well or not.

[dacbrewers]

I am rooting for Sacramento now since I live within an hours drive.

[patrickgpe]

Honestly if you are a minor league team, would you rather have the brewers or Astros? The Astros have the top system in baseball and the brewers are near the bottom. I have a feel the brewers will get the Astros scraps.

[jerichoholicninja]

Honestly if you are a minor league team, would you rather have the brewers or Astros? The Astros have the top system in baseball and the brewers are near the bottom. I have a feel the brewers will get the Astros scraps.

 

Yes, but for how long? And top minor league system doesn't equal minor league wins. When the Brewers had Indy and they won the AAA World Series the team was a bunch of never-would-be's and never-were veterans and Ben Sheets.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Here's the link to McCalvy's article on the situation if you haven't read it by now:

 

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/95157658/brewers-general-manager-doug-melvin-miffed-by-breakup-with-triple-a-affiliate

 

The Sounds ownership had grown tired of the Brewers fielding subpar teams in recent years. The Brewers had tried to rectify that situation in 2014 with some success, especially at home. It's a valid concern, but the way they went about changing affiliations wasn't the right way to do it and Melvin has every right to be irate. If you're thinking about switching, you should at least let your partner know. Don't leave your old partner hanging when you suddenly become attractive and a prettier partner asks you to dance.

[Mass Haas]

Colorado Springs and Brewers it is (by default).