2021 Brewers Affiliates

[balsamlaker]

It will be interesting when the announcements occur, how they happen. In order to make schedules they wouldn't need to know whose affiliate it is, just the levels and leagues. If the Northwest League enters "A" ball opposite of the California League, maybe it makes it possible/likely to split the Midwest League between the two "A" levels. If you can't get all the teams together, maybe you can clump them with two Midwest teams and your AA and AAA teams near each other. A stretch, but what if you could move the Mudcats up to AA and steal the Durham Bulls from TB?

[LincolnDD]

I do wonder if we're very close to hearing about the Northwest League. The A's beat writer for the SF Chronicle reported that the A's are expected to move their Low-A team to Vancouver.

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/athletics/article/A-s-exec-Billy-Owens-considered-for-Angels-15659586.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

 

Hopefully that means, as you said, we're closer than some people are reporting.

 

Specific to this report, The A's moving frees up Beloit (edited: confused A's with Angels/Burlington here). It also means the Jays won't be housing their Low-A team in Vancouver anymore, so perhaps they're staying in Lansing.

[LincolnDD]

Here's a fun update, and an opportunity for me to brag about one of my predictions (even though it always made a lot of sense): A Marlins beat writer, Craig Mish, was on a Marlins podcast yesterday, and he said the "rumor" is that the Marlins will be asked to leave Wichita. For those of us who have been following this, that isn't a surprise, though he also seemed to be pretty unaware of all the MiLB realignment rumors until recently, which is weird. Anyway, he's hearing they would move AAA to Jacksonville, and then would take one of the existing Southern League teams to replace Jax for AA. He mentioned Pensacola specifically as a realistic option. Assuming the Rays stick with their long-term home in Montgomery, and the Marlins move to Pensacola, there really aren't any other regional fits for Biloxi, so I could see the Brewers staying there. And obviously this points to Wichita being available.

 

The MiLB talk starts about 18:40. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swings-and-mishes/id1430047783#episodeGuid=swingsandmishes.podbean.com%2F5b55248b-038d-3739-8957-8d11083ebe82

 

The Marlins' SBNation page covered Mish's comments as well: https://www.fishstripes.com/21528761/minor-league-baseball-news-changes-marlins-wichita-jacksonville

 

There was also reportedly a conference call yesterday between MLB and the New York-Penn League, so we may start to hear about that league's future soon.

[LincolnDD]

MLB is proposing the NY-Penn go college wood bat as well: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-proposes-converting-new-york-penn-league-to-summer-wood-bat-circuit/

 

Doesn't sound like that would go as smoothly as the Appalachian League transition is going. BA suggested some teams may just opt to go Independent.

 

The article also said not to expect to hear about the final 120 teams until after the election, possibly still several weeks away.

 

Also reports of the new facility standards going forward: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/upgrades-required-mlb-proposes-stricter-minor-league-facility-standards/

 

BA suggests some teams may preemptively opt out of the final 120 if they feel they won't be able to meet the new standards.

 

I know some improvements were made to the park in San Antonio prior to the 2019 season. I wonder if they were good enough. I know city leadership there was against a new park, so I wonder how willing they'd be to pay for additional improvements on the existing park. I'd also be curious about ownership is willing to do with the park in Carolina. Biloxi is probably in great shape given it's so new.

[balsamlaker]

The Altoona Curve (AA Eastern League) GM recently said he hopes to hear an announcement by Thanksgiving regarding affiliations.

[LincolnDD]

Ballpark Digest has some new (unofficial) reporting: https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge/

 

Big changes at High A and Low A:

 

Low A

Cali League - eight teams

Florida State League - ten teams (two teams cut; probably still Daytona and Florida getting dropped)

Sally League - twelve teams

 

High A

Midwest League

Northwest League (six teams)

Carolina League

New Mid-Atlantic League

 

AA

Only thing reported in the article is that Brooklyn is still expected to move to the Eastern League, that the Marlins are expected to get Pensacola, and then the result of the AAA shuffling (below), which we've heard before.

 

AAA

Out: Fresno (dropped to Low A Cali League), San Antonio and Wichita (dropped to AA Texas League)

In: Jacksonville (Marlins), St. Paul (Twins), Sugar Land (didn't say, but presumably the Astros)

 

Pioneer League still has nothing on what their future holds.

 

The site stressed that nothing is finalized and could change from this reporting, but this is roughly what MLB is shooting for right now.

[LincolnDD]

Ballpark Digest has some new (unofficial) reporting: https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge/

 

If I had to guess now, I think the Brewers end up back in Nashville for AAA.

[wibadgers23]

So if the Midwest league and Carolina league both end up in high A, I’m guessing the Brewers would have to drop the Mudcats then? And then they’ll have a new low A team?

[MadThinker88]

Ballpark Digest has some new (unofficial) reporting: https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge/

 

Big changes at High A and Low A:

 

Low A

Cali League - eight teams

Florida State League - ten teams (two teams cut; probably still Daytona and Florida getting dropped)

Sally League - twelve teams

 

High A

Midwest League

Northwest League (six teams)

Carolina League

New Mid-Atlantic League

 

AA

Only thing reported in the article is that Brooklyn is still expected to move to the Eastern League, that the Marlins are expected to get Pensacola, and then the result of the AAA shuffling (below), which we've heard before.

 

AAA

Out: Fresno (dropped to Low A Cali League), San Antonio and Wichita (dropped to AA Texas League)

In: Jacksonville (Marlins), St. Paul (Twins), Sugar Land (didn't say, but presumably the Astros)

 

Pioneer League still has nothing on what their future holds.

 

The site stressed that nothing is finalized and could change from this reporting, but this is roughly what MLB is shooting for right now.

 

The count for Low A is off.... only 28 teams accounted for & there are 30 organizations in MLB

 

Thanks for staying up on this stuff & reporting updates LincolnDD!

[patrickgpe]

the problem with that is that they own the Mudcats. I would think appleton gets the boot

[MadThinker88]

the problem with that is that they own the Mudcats. I would think appleton gets the boot

 

Always a chance the Mudcats are dropped a level & join the Saally League (makes more geographic sense then Appleton in Sally or another Low A league)..

[LincolnDD]

The count for Low A is off.... only 28 teams accounted for & there are 30 organizations in MLB

 

Thanks for staying up on this stuff & reporting updates LincolnDD!

 

Should be thirty for Low A: 8 + 12 + 10

 

Thanks for the hat tip! I find this stuff fascinating, but I'm always afraid I annoy people with all the posts on this, haha. I'm glad some find it interesting.

[wibadgers23]

Keep the updates coming Lincoln! I can’t wait to see what the minor leagues will look like going forward. Hopefully we get a resolution soon.

[LincolnDD]

the problem with that is that they own the Mudcats. I would think appleton gets the boot

 

Always a chance the Mudcats are dropped a level & join the Saally League (makes more geographic sense then Appleton in Sally or another Low A league)..

 

Yeah, good call. So the Brewers stay in both Wisconsin and Carolina, but the levels are swapped. The article did say that some MLB-owned affiliates could also end up being cut. But I think it makes more sense to drop Carolina down a level. The Brewers aren't going to California or Florida for Low A (we can pretty much figure out the teams in those leagues), so they'll be in the South Atlantic League.

[LincolnDD]

Keep the updates coming Lincoln! I can’t wait to see what the minor leagues will look like going forward. Hopefully we get a resolution soon.

 

You're welcome! Thanks for not being annoyed by this

[MadThinker88]

The count for Low A is off.... only 28 teams accounted for & there are 30 organizations in MLB

 

Thanks for staying up on this stuff & reporting updates LincolnDD!

 

Should be thirty for Low A: 8 + 12 + 10

 

Thanks for the hat tip! I find this stuff fascinating, but I'm always afraid I annoy people with all the posts on this, haha. I'm glad some find it interesting.

 

sorry.. brain fart.. Your right..

My eyes saw the 6 listed for the Northwest league & used for the Cali League..

[balsamlaker]

I agree with Lincoln that Mudcats to the Sally League and Nashville in AAA makes the most sense with the Rangers returning to Round Rock and the Nationals heading up to Rochester, NY. Would Biloxi and the Brewers likely continue their affiliation at AA?

[madbad2000]

I agree with Lincoln that Mudcats to the Sally League and Nashville in AAA makes the most sense with the Rangers returning to Round Rock and the Nationals heading up to Rochester, NY. Would Biloxi and the Brewers likely continue their affiliation at AA?

 

 

Rocket city, rocket city, rocket city...c'mon!

[LincolnDD]

I've heard the Angels love it in RC, but it would be nice to be there, especially if AAA ends up in Nashville, less than two hours away.

 

I do think Biloxi stays. There's no regional (or even "kinda regional") team that makes sense to put there, assuming the Braves, Rays, Astros and Rangers stay where they are. Though I could imagine a wonky scenario where the Brewers end up in Rochester for AAA, which means it might make more sense to move AA to Hartford (sending the Rockies to Wichita, with the Twins moving down the road from Pensacola to Biloxi). That seems unlikely though, and I think the preference would be to keep Biloxi and hopefully Nashville, much better weather cities, especially early season.

 

And it sounds like AA will overall be pretty stable. My guess is the Twins end up taking over Wichita if the Marlins do boot them from Pensacola. Mets to Brooklyn with Binghamton gone, and I guess Arizona to San Antonio with Jackson cut. That just leaves the Reds if Chattanooga is still out. If Chattanooga and Jackson are still dumped, and Jacksonville moves to AAA, that leaves the Southern League at seven teams, which probably means the early rumor about Bowling Green moving to AA as a Reds affiliate is likely(?).

[LincolnDD]

Ballpark Digest has some new (unofficial) reporting: https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge/

 

High A

Midwest League

Northwest League (six teams)

Carolina League

New Mid-Atlantic League

 

 

I have no idea how this is going to work for the Midwest League. Even if the Carolina and Mid Atlantic both also land at six teams like the Northwest, leaving the Midwest the remaining twelve High A slots, that's still four teams to cut. Assume Clinton and Burlington are kicked as initially reported, and Bowling Green moves up to AA, that's still one more to dump, and I don't know who that would be. I don't even see another opportunity to promote a team to another league, so it would have to be a cut/contraction.

 

It's not hard to scribble out what the minors will look like in 2021 at AAA, AA and Low A (Low A we know who/where will be in the Cal and Florida leagues, and the remaining twelve will be somewhere in the Southeast, even if we can't pinpoint every city), but High A is a mess to try to figure out.

[TURBO]

I wouldn't mind the T-Rats becoming High A. Probably better baseball to watch, but I do like watching the players when they are still pretty new to the system.

[balsamlaker]

Could Bowling Green end up in the picture for Milwaukee? If two spots could open up for Midwest League teams to move to AA, Dayton for the Reds and Bowling Green for the Brewers would work out well geographically for both the Midwest League and for a potential Nashville/Bowling Green combination at AAA/AA.

[brewmann04]

I would hate to lose Biloxi great place. I guess we would Keep Carolina no matter where they end up.The fun is where is the Triple A team will end up for the crew.

[LincolnDD]

Could Bowling Green end up in the picture for Milwaukee? If two spots could open up for Midwest League teams to move to AA, Dayton for the Reds and Bowling Green for the Brewers would work out well geographically for both the Midwest League and for a potential Nashville/Bowling Green combination at AAA/AA.

 

The issue there would be fitting Dayton into AA, as that would throw off the balance at that level. You'd have to find another AA team to move/cut. Dayton's also on the fringe of the two regional AA leagues, which may be an issue with the reported stricter travel restrictions being put in place for the minors.

 

I'll throw this out there, though. With Monday's report about a new High A "Mid Atlantic" league, maybe Brooklyn just gets a bump to High A rather than AA? That same report has the Mets current High A team in St. Lucie moving down to Low A, so the Mets would need a new High A affiliate. Then the Mets slot into Hartford for AA. You could then shift Dayton into Binghamton's old Eastern League slot, and maybe even cut the Eastern League into two separate leagues to account for the new travel rules:

 

Eastern League: Akron, Altoona, Bowie, Dayton, Erie, Richmond

Northeast League(?): Harrisburg, Hartford, New Hampshire, Portland, Reading, Trenton

 

Brewers to Bowling Green

Reds to Dayton

Mets to Hartford

Marlins to Pensacola

Diamondbacks/Rockies/Twins to some combo of Biloxi/San Antonio/Wichita

[Brewers Numbers]

Ballpark Digest has some new (unofficial) reporting: https://ballparkdigest.com/2020/11/02/details-of-mlb-takeover-of-milb-emerge/

 

If I had to guess now, I think the Brewers end up back in Nashville for AAA.

 

Would the potential of an expansion team in Nashville be an issue? Dave Dombrowski has been mentioned recently as a GM candidate and he's stated he is staying in Nashville to pursue a team through expansion or relocation.