2021 Brewers Affiliates

[Eye Black]

The Nationals are Rochester bound (Link).

[LincolnDD]

I guess something wild could happen, but sure feels like it's back to Nashville at this point.

[Brewers Numbers]

More:

 

JP Hoornstra:

The Dodgers will be affiliating with a High-A team in Spokane, Washington, as part of the broad changes coming to minor league baseball. An official announcement is expected on/around Dec. 1: buff.ly/2UFBtDh

 

JJ Cooper: https://twitter.com/jjcoop36/status/1329546170675376130 JJ Cooper added this when retweeting JP Hoornstra's tweet: This is big because from all of my reporting, the Dodgers were quite happy in the Midwest League and Great Lakes. Them going out West shuffles a lot as far as HiA lines up.

 

Robert Harding:

.@SenSchumer was in my hometown (Medina) today and said he's working to keep the Auburn Doubledays and Batavia Muckdogs as Single-A minor league baseball teams. It's going to be tough. To make that happen, Auburn would have to become a full-season team.

 

JJ Cooper:

JJ Cooper added this when he retweeted Robert Harding's tweet: Schumer has worked hard to keep MiLB teams from N.Y. in affiliated ball. I would agree with the statement here that says that would be very tough to do. Batavia and Auburn are in small markets. The two have ranked at the bottom of lg. attendance each of the past 5 years.

 

The Great Lakes Loons are in Midland, MI.

 

EDIT 1: New tweet from JJ Cooper

A source with direct knowledge tells me that the report of the Dodgers affiliating with Spokane for high Class A in 2021 is incorrect.

[balsamlaker]

Gotta think it is now down to Round Rock and Nashville. For AA options, I have to think Biloxi would be in play for either with San Antonio also being in play with Round Rock and maybe Chattanooga or Jackson, TN in play for Nashville.

[LincolnDD]

Chattanooga and Jackson were on the original cut list, but the Ballpark Digest tracker has them both listed as "expected to renew". The tracker is a little sloppy though.

 

Nashville-Jackson would be a nice pairing, distance-wide.

[MadThinker88]

Just FYI for those trying to keep track..

 

Besides Ballpark Digest, Baseball America/ JJ Cooper has started their own chart representation of who is ending up where.

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2021-minor-league-baseball-affiliation-chart/

[Brewers Numbers]

Just FYI for those trying to keep track..

 

Besides Ballpark Digest, Baseball America/ JJ Cooper has started their own chart representation of who is ending up where.

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2021-minor-league-baseball-affiliation-chart/

 

I was just searching for this to post it. It is much easier to read and he includes links to some of his sources.

[patrickgpe]

Nashville would be nice, but I'd prefer Indianapolis, just because of how the relationship with the brewers ended and they do have their long shot eyes set on a MLB club. I guess you do get the benefit of the new stadium.

 

if San Antonio goes to AA, I would still prefer Biloxi. Much nicer stadium.

 

If the brewers do put together a system of Nashville or Indy / ,Biloxi or SA / Carolina , Wisconsin, I think that is a pretty nice minor league organization.

[Brewers Numbers]

JJ Cooper updated his link with the Mariner sites. He found it in the job postings for coaches.

Nov. 20: The Mariners posted to a job site openings for minor league coaching positions for five sites: Peoria, Ariz. (their spring training complex/Arizona League home), Everett, Modesto, Arkansas and Tacoma. While the Mariners have not officially confirmed where their MiLB teams will be in 2021, the open applications requiring coaches to relocate to the summer to these cities effectively serves as confirmation of where their four affiliates will be located.

 

LoA-Tacoma, HiA-Arkansas, AA-Everett, AAA-Modesto

 

So watch for job postings?

[balsamlaker]

The debate will be facilities vs. location as Biloxi has the nicer facilities but San Antonio, Chattanooga, and Jackson would definitely have the closer location to what appear to be the last two AAA options standing. Regarding the history with Nashville, this was before the Stearns regime but obviously Melvin, Ash, Counsell, T. Johnson, and Flanagan were around in different roles with the team at the time.

[brewmann04]

Round Rock and Biloxi as the top two affilates?

[Brewers Numbers]

I get the bad blood with Nashville but it was the Brewers toward the Nashville ownership, correct? So the Brewers requesting - and getting - Nashville as their AAA affiliate really would be a FU to Nashville's ownership since they no longer have a say in affiliations. So from the Brewers perspective the history shouldn't really be a thing?

 

Out of the box thinking - MLB's requirements for affiliation are about facilities for players and not attendance. Any chance Wisconsin or even Beloit get elevated to AAA?

[LincolnDD]

I still think easy travel in and out of a location will matter some for AAA locations. Lack of decent flight options is one of the reasons Fresno is about to become a Low-A team. I don't know those regions, so I can't speak to if either fit well from the travel perspective.

 

I think the alignment of AAA will matter some as well. Would a Beloit or Wisconsin AAA team be in an expanded International League, or part of a new middle America AAA league? Travel within just the Midwest/Midsouth vs. having to get to "smaller" IL cities like Syracuse or Worcester, or down to Jacksonville.

 

It is an interesting question, especially considering one huge issue I still have. High A is going to have a twelve-team Midwest League, and three six-team leagues (Northwest, Carolina and Mid Atlantic). The Midwest League is currently sixteen teams, so four will have to go. The President of the team in South Bend gave an interview the other day where he reported some of what we already know: Burlington and Clinton will be cut, and Bowling Green will "possibly" be moving to another league. But nothing on the fourth team. It would be difficult to cram any of the remaining Midwest League teams into another league because nothing's really close. But you don't have to worry about that as much with AAA...

 

[balsamlaker]

Appleton definitely has the larger stadium than the Beloit new ballpark, but does that really matter as there were rumors that MN was looking at Sioux Falls as their "backup" to St. Paul at the AAA level. Would you choose them over an established AAA team in Round Rock or Nashville? West Michigan could also be an idea (a 4th MW league team on the move) with its larger population, larger stadium, and future stories of getting called up to the majors starting with, "I took the Lake Express ferry..." Tigers than move their affiliate to recently vacated Great Lakes?

[Brewers Numbers]

Not a huge surprise but Nats let Hagerstown know they will not their Single A affiliate anymore. https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/sports/nationals-end-affiliation-with-suns/article_8ccf83de-2c5a-11eb-aae4-97eafc32de4d.html

[LincolnDD]

Appleton definitely has the larger stadium than the Beloit new ballpark, but does that really matter as there were rumors that MN was looking at Sioux Falls as their "backup" to St. Paul at the AAA level. Would you choose them over an established AAA team in Round Rock or Nashville? West Michigan could also be an idea (a 4th MW league team on the move) with its larger population, larger stadium, and future stories of getting called up to the majors starting with, "I took the Lake Express ferry..." Tigers than move their affiliate to recently vacated Great Lakes?

 

The more important question is the quality and size of the player facilities. I don't think there's going to be as much emphasis on fan experience going forward, so the old required rules for AAA probably won't matter as much. I'd assume the clubhouse+ in the new Beloit stadium is being built to match the new requirements. Don't know about the one in Appleton, though it was good enough for the Brewers to use this past season for their player pool.

 

I'm not buying the rumor that the Dodgers are leaving Great Lakes yet:

 

Ballpark Digest sends out an occasional email newsletter, and one from last Friday reported that the A's, Dodgers and Padres all "fought moves" from the Midwest League. That's a problem when MLB wants the six-team Northwest League to be all Western teams, and three of the eight (I'm not counting Houston and Texas) don't want to go. On another site I frequent, we hypothesized that maybe the Blue Jays would agree to be the sixth team in the NWL so they can keep the only Canadian minor league team, in Vancouver. So maybe West Michigan up to AAA, with the Tigers moving High A to Lansing to replace the Jays? Or just bump Lansing up. Of course, now you have to make another move at AAA, demoting or contracting another existing team.

 

Reportedly one of the last decisions to be made on the final 120 involved the Jays:

[Brewers Numbers]

From McCalvy's mailbag:https://www.mlb.com/brewers/news/david-stearns-brewers-offseason-plans

Since it has been reported the San Antonio Missions are going back to Double-A, what are some possible teams for the Brewers' Triple-A team next season?

-- @BrewersPilots

 

Teams are just as eager for the answer to affiliate questions as fans, as everyone awaits the result of Major League Baseball’s reorganization of the Minor Leagues. Even before news that San Antonio was shifting back to the Double-A level after two years (and only one season) in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, it was considered likely that the Brewers would get a new affiliate. I’ve heard two possibilities, though these are only possibilities: Wichita, which has a new stadium that was to house the Marlins’ top affiliate in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic struck, and Nashville, the Brewers’ former longtime Triple-A home. Nashville opened a new stadium in '15, just as the Brewers were nudged out to their chagrin. Milwaukee officials would be thrilled about a reunion, should that come to pass.

 

With the Brewers owning the Class A Advanced Carolina Mudcats and the Midwest League moving to the Class A Advanced level, the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers look to no longer be possible for the Brewers. When this MLB/MiLB deal shakes out, where do the affiliates land?

-- Craig

 

Again, it’s all to be determined, but Stearns was rather sure last month that the Brewers would remain affiliated with the Timber Rattlers. Given that one of the aims of reorganization is geographic, the relationship makes perfect sense.

 

“We value our relationship with the Timber Rattlers. We expect to continue our relationship with the Timber Rattlers,” Stearns said.

 

There have been reports that the Midwest League could become Class A Advanced. Could that mean Carolina and other teams in the Southeast drop down to Class A? For now, it’s just speculation.

[brewmann04]

so we might lose both Biloxi and the Timber Rattlers

[patrickgpe]

so we might lose both Biloxi and the Timber Rattlers

i THINK that if we lose biloxi its because San Antonio is the brewers affiliate. If the brewers are stuck with Round Rock, it would make sense to partner up with San Antonio. I guess to keep the Timber Rattlers they would have to move up to high A

[MadThinker88]

so we might lose both Biloxi and the Timber Rattlers

i THINK that if we lose biloxi its because San Antonio is the brewers affiliate. If the brewers are stuck with Round Rock, it would make sense to partner up with San Antonio. I guess to keep the Timber Rattlers they would have to move up to high A

 

The TimberRattlers are part of the Midwest League & it has been strongly suggested in multiple places that a smaller Midwest League is moving up to the High A level.

 

My suspicion is Wisconsin survives & moves up to High A.

As for MKE having control of the Carolina Mudcats, it is always possible for that club to realign with the Low A South Atlantic League..

[brewmann04]

Can't wait for this to be over but it sure makes for interesting talk.

[balsamlaker]

I think MadThinker is correct, the Mudcats likely move to the new Sally League.

[brewmann04]

so hopefully the Timber rattlers move to high A and stay with us. I still like Biloxi over SA for Double A.

[LincolnDD]

I was told that Myrtle Beach is moving to Low-A (still as a Cubs affiliate). Likewise, Ballpark Digest reported that the Astros were going to stay in the Midwest League (for High A), and that's pertinent because they own their Carolina League High A affiliate, just like the Brewers do. Knowing that, I think it's pretty easy to connect the dots with the Mudcats being in that region, and them moving to the South Atlantic League seems like a pretty safe bet.

 

I posted this on another site the other day. It's my stab, based on some rumors and some wild guesses, at what the new Low-A South Atlantic League will look like. It includes seven teams dropping from the Carolina League:

 

Augusta – Braves

Carolina – Brewers

Charleston – Rays

Columbia – Royals

Delmarva – Orioles (this could be any one of the four Orioles affiliates in Maryland, so used Delmarva by default)

Down East – Rangers

Fayetteville – Astros

Fredericksburg – Nationals

Kannapolis – White Sox

Lynchburg – Indians

Myrtle Beach – Cubs

Salem – Red Sox

 

And the six-team Carolina League:

Asheville – Marlins

Greensboro – Pirates

Greenville – Red Sox

Hickory – Rangers

Rome – Braves

Winston-Salem – White Sox

 

Double-A, I don't know. I'd still bet on Biloxi, but who knows.

[wibadgers23]

So the Carolina league would stay at high-A? And you’re projecting them to only have the six teams?