2021 Brewers Affiliates

[patrickgpe]

I think its good to not give the minor leagues teams as much power as they have had in the past in deciding their parent club. It would also be nice to not have such a game of musical chairs every 2 years. Stability is a positive thing. Having the parent club close to the affiliate is nice too.

[LincolnDD]

I think its good to not give the minor leagues teams as much power as they have had in the past in deciding their parent club. It would also be nice to not have such a game of musical chairs every 2 years. Stability is a positive thing. Having the parent club close to the affiliate is nice too.

 

Agreed on all counts. There was a lack of incentive for some teams to make improvements to facilities because they were guaranteed to have an affiliate.

 

MLB has of course handled this process poorly, but MiLB really did need modernization and restructuring.

[LincolnDD]

Would it make sense for the Brewers to try to strike a deal with a city? Dayton, anyone?

 

That would probably be a tough one to nab from Cincinnati.

[LincolnDD]

It's official on the Appalachian League: no longer an affiliate league with MLB parent clubs.

 

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-usa-baseball-announce-new-format-for-appalachian-league

 

Pulaski is included in this, so the fact that they weren't on the original cut list with the other nine Appy League teams speaks to the fact that the list has changed.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if we hear about the fate of the Pioneer League well before we know what the new affiliation structure will look like.

[patrickgpe]

 

Agreed on all counts. There was a lack of incentive for some teams to make improvements to facilities because they were guaranteed to have an affiliate.

 

MLB has of course handled this process poorly, but MiLB really did need modernization and restructuring.

 

That is true, but then you got the bottom of the barrell. Teams with the nicer facilities, ideal locations (either geographically or not massively above sea level), held all of the cards and got to pick first. Maybe thats how it should go, but the brewers somehow managed to get screwed by playing in subpar facilities in Nashville only to get the rug pulled from them once they got their stadium or just an unfair location in Colorado Springs, to no fault of their own, because most of the time they did have a decent farm system. I would rather see longer deals and more consistency than the more ideal teams just picking their affiliate every 2 years based on the condition of every major league team. Plus the MLB team or MLB baseball should get some say in where they play. Just seemed like the minor league club had most of the power in the dealing.

[patrickgpe]

Would it make sense for the Brewers to try to strike a deal with a city? Dayton, anyone?

 

That would probably be a tough one to nab from Cincinnati.

? Instead of Appleton? I think that has been a great relationship for both teams. This is how you want an affiliate to work.

 

Also Dayton has been a great relationship for the Reds. I think MLB would be smart to preserve these affiliations in this new system.

[madbad2000]

I thoroughly believe that having a local MLB team that you are affiliated with helps both major and minor league clubs. The ideal scenario is something like Baltimore where all of their affiliates are an hour or less away from the parent club outside of Norfolk which is still only 4ish.

Millwaukee and Appleton are a great fit. Dayton and Cincinatti are a great fit. Dayton would probably be a better fit for the Indians, Cubs or Tigers before Milwaukee gets in line.

[balsamlaker]

Just to be clear my Dayton thought was for AAA. Trying to think of what "Midwest" city could support a AAA team - Fort Wayne, West Michigan, Kane County? When a writer suggests Sioux Falls as a possibility for the Twins, it makes you wonder how hard some of these teams may try to get an affiliate close to "home".

[LincolnDD]

Just to be clear my Dayton thought was for AAA. Trying to think of what "Midwest" city could support a AAA team - Fort Wayne, West Michigan, Kane County? When a writer suggests Sioux Falls as a possibility for the Twins, it makes you wonder how hard some of these teams may try to get an affiliate close to "home".

 

Gotcha. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

Yeah, a lot of those Midwest League towns sure feel like they could host a team higher up the ladder. I think they all make more sense as AAA teams than Sioux Falls does, too.

 

In a hypothetical scenario where Dayton jumps up to AAA, does Cincinnati move their operations there, opening up Louisville? FWIW, I was just reading about when Dayton was sold (in 2014), and they reportedly went for over $30m. That's...a lot! The Syracuse Mets sold for $18m three years later. So the Dayton club holds a lot of value, more comparable to some of the more valuable AAA teams.

[LincolnDD]

 

Agreed on all counts. There was a lack of incentive for some teams to make improvements to facilities because they were guaranteed to have an affiliate.

 

MLB has of course handled this process poorly, but MiLB really did need modernization and restructuring.

 

That is true, but then you got the bottom of the barrell. Teams with the nicer facilities, ideal locations (either geographically or not massively above sea level), held all of the cards and got to pick first. Maybe thats how it should go, but the brewers somehow managed to get screwed by playing in subpar facilities in Nashville only to get the rug pulled from them once they got their stadium or just an unfair location in Colorado Springs, to no fault of their own, because most of the time they did have a decent farm system. I would rather see longer deals and more consistency than the more ideal teams just picking their affiliate every 2 years based on the condition of every major league team. Plus the MLB team or MLB baseball should get some say in where they play. Just seemed like the minor league club had most of the power in the dealing.

 

Agreed. And I think all that is going to happen. MLB will make sure their teams get into good situations, where they want to be. The agreements will be longer (still undetermined, but anywhere from 5 - 15 years). MLB teams will also have outs if a partner team fails to meet or maintain standards. That's partly where the new relationship with those three Independent Leagues comes in, as teams will have options to move to if they want to break an affiliation.

[madbad2000]

The question is what are the requirements for a team to have a AAA stadium? These moves all seem to be about cost reduction by removing teams and limiting travel. Do you really need a near MLB quality stadium that holds 15,000 people? If MLB say Beloit is now AAA and playing in the same division as the Iowa Cubs, et al...they are now a AAA club. What if Milwaukee says they want Beloit for AAA and Wisconsin for low A? I don't know if us casual fans can really bet on anything concrete with how things are shaping up in this realignment.

[balsamlaker]

Looking at the ballparks of current affiliates it looks like most AAA stadiums are 9K or above and AA stadiums are 6K and above. I think the new Beloit ballpark is going to hold under 4K.

[LincolnDD]

The question is what are the requirements for a team to have a AAA stadium? These moves all seem to be about cost reduction by removing teams and limiting travel. Do you really need a near MLB quality stadium that holds 15,000 people? If MLB say Beloit is now AAA and playing in the same division as the Iowa Cubs, et al...they are now a AAA club. What if Milwaukee says they want Beloit for AAA and Wisconsin for low A? I don't know if us casual fans can really bet on anything concrete with how things are shaping up in this realignment.

 

A great point. I really don't think MLB cares about the number of seats or bathrooms or anything else to do with the fan experience. If the stadium has a big clubhouse with plenty of amenities, multiple batting cages and an updated video room, then it probably fits. The only issue I could see for potential new AAA cities is travel, i.e. the airport.

[balsamlaker]

If you want to group three affiliates similar to how the CWS have done it, I would recommend you try to steal Birmingham for your AAA affiliate and maybe add Pensacola, Chattanooga, or one of the SAL teams (Greenville, Greensboro, Columbia, or Charleston) as your AA affiliate.

[LincolnDD]

If you want to group three affiliates similar to how the CWS have done it, I would recommend you try to steal Birmingham for your AAA affiliate and maybe add Pensacola, Chattanooga, or one of the SAL teams (Greenville, Greensboro, Columbia, or Charleston) as your AA affiliate.

 

Or Pensacola as AAA and keep Biloxi for AA?

 

Greenville is a really interesting situation (to me). The team went all-in on their Boston affiliation and built a faux Green Monster in left field. I think we'll see some decent shuffling of affiliation with teams in the SAL, especially if rumors of Low-A expansion into the Northeast are true -- the Mets, Pirates and Yankees are all current SAL teams that might be interested in moving Low-A to better regional fits. There have also been some rumblings that the Boston short-season affiliate in Lowell may have been saved from being cut, so if that team moves up to Low-A, Boston may be faced with picking two from Greenville, Lowell, and a team they currently own in Salem (presuming they stick with Worcester at AAA and Portland at AA).

[balsamlaker]

Pensacola has a nice field, but would be really small compared to other AAA fields. An interesting sidenote is the Pensacola owner is also the owner (or will be) of the Beloit team.

[madbad2000]

Pensacola has a nice field, but would be really small compared to other AAA fields. An interesting sidenote is the Pensacola owner is also the owner (or will be) of the Beloit team.

 

I love the Pensacola stadium. The location right on the water and full 360 accessibility is amazing. Highly recommend to anyone to catch a game there. Maybe even make it a destination as the beaches are nice and lots to do.

[LincolnDD]

Pensacola has a nice field, but would be really small compared to other AAA fields. An interesting sidenote is the Pensacola owner is also the owner (or will be) of the Beloit team.

 

Good point. I have gotten the impression that the previous facility standards that existed under the now-expired contract may not be the same going forward, so things like AAA stadiums required to have a certain number of seats may not apply now. I could be very wrong on that, though!

 

The Blue Wahoos put a nice Q&A up on their website the other day about the pending changes to the minors, and are under the impression that they'll stay in the Southern League and at AA:

 

As part of this realignment, it is likely that teams--and possibly even entire leagues--will be reclassified to new levels. The Southern League should remain a Double-A league and the Blue Wahoos should remain as a Double-A affiliate. However, changes to the teams and number of teams in the Southern League are likely to occur.

 

https://www.milb.com/pensacola/news/mlb-milb-changes

[LincolnDD]

I love the Pensacola stadium. The location right on the water and full 360 accessibility is amazing. Highly recommend to anyone to catch a game there. Maybe even make it a destination as the beaches are nice and lots to do.

 

I'd love to go one day. Pensacola was my dad's first duty station when he was in the Navy, waaaaay back in the early 70s. I think he still tries to make a trip out there every few years.

 

They're a really great organization, too. They ariBNB'd their stadium this year to make up for some lost revenue, which was a really cool idea. They also were one of the few orgs to pledge not to let any staff go during the season.

[balsamlaker]

If MLB doesn't move a lot of leagues around, it wouldn't shock me if the only change the Brewers see is their AAA team moving to Wichita.

[LincolnDD]

Wichita does seem like a possibility. I guess it depends on whether or not the Twins and MLB can convince St. Paul to make the move to affiliated ball, as there has actually been a report linking the Twins to Wichita.

 

I'd also keep an eye on Indianapolis. If the Nats end up in Richmond, I could see the Pirates head to Rochester. If no Richmond for the Nats, then I think they end up in Rochester. It doesn't sound like the Twins are going to stay there.

 

Nashville will also presumably be open, if Sugar Land joins affiliated ball as an Astros affiliate, opening Round Rock for the Rangers. I could also see the Marlins end up in Nashville (everything I've posted here about the Marlins in Jacksonville has been 100% speculation on my part).

 

It was Keith Law who reported in the Athletic back in April that Wichita and San Antonio could be dropped down to AA/Texas League, but I'd guess those plans have probably long since changed. Here's the article (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/1718395/2020/04/03/law-even-with-baseball-shut-down-specter-of-minor-league-contraction-looms/

[Eye Black]

So this MiLB retraction and reshuffle has been one of my blind spots as I haven't paid much attention thus far. For those following it more closely, is Beloit in any danger of losing out on an affiliated team despite currently having a new stadium under construction? I know there were conflicting preliminary reports about their status, and I think their ownership group also owns Pensacola which would seem to help their cause. Just curious if they've publicly stated assurance of having an affiliated team?

[LincolnDD]

So this MiLB retraction and reshuffle has been one of my blind spots as I haven't paid much attention thus far. For those following it more closely, is Beloit in any danger of losing out on an affiliated team despite currently having a new stadium under construction? I know there were conflicting preliminary reports about their status, and I think their ownership group also owns Pensacola which would seem to help their cause. Just curious if they've publicly stated assurance of having an affiliated team?

 

For all the reasons you listed, they're a safe bet to still be around. If there's affiliated minor league baseball in 2021, you'll get to go see the Beloit Cheese Cows(?) play. But no, no definitive public statement yet. That pretty much applies to everyone though. Even if a team has high high high confidence that they'll be around, knowing league, level, affiliation, stuff like that, is still up in the air. And we may still be months from knowing the final 120.

 

I posted this link earlier: https://www.milb.com/pensacola/news/mlb-milb-changes

 

In that Pensacola Blue Wahoos press release from a few weeks ago: "The Southern League should remain a Double-A league and the Blue Wahoos should remain as a Double-A affiliate." SHOULD?!

[balsamlaker]

I have to think behind closed doors they are farther along than we might think. Occasionally there are tweets put out and then pulled back that make it seem like some things have been decided - for example Boise put a message out recently saying their new era begins April 1st, which is interesting as historically they don't start until mid-June.

[LincolnDD]

Yeah, possibly. Maybe most teams are better at being tight-lipped than Boise, as most of the articles I've read recently interviewing MiLB team personnel say they have no idea what's going on.

 

The initial rumors about the Northwest League were that they were going to move to full season (probably Low-A), with two of their eight teams being cut (Tri-City and Salem-Keizer). But Boise was also mentioned as a potential cut because they're pretty far from the rest of the teams in the league, and they don't play in great facilities. So maybe we're close to at least hearing the fate of the NW League, and pretty much know who will be a part of it.

 

That doesn't really give us any insight into who the Brewers will end up with, though we should see some fallout in the Midwest League if it stays at Low-A (which I don't think is a given). The Angels, A's, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Padres all have teams in the Midwest League, so we could see some of them head to the new Northwest League.