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Was pretty clear all along that MLB will work with the owners of the teams they are keeping.
This is a statement, so I do not want to read too much into it, but I will note it says "Minor League owners" here. "Minor League owners" is different in my perception from Minor League Baseball (the entity), which has run negotiations with MLB on the PBA. https://t.co/doZ4XdkxYY
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) October 1, 2020
This is just another cursed event from the year 2020. This year has been one nightmare after another.
This is surprising. Gebhard was a wealth of knowledge. Bourjos has been a scout a long time, but just joined the Cardinals in 2019.
Remember those #STLCards layoffs a couple of weeks ago? I've confirmed two names from baseball ops and they cut deep: Bob Gebhard, one of John Mozeliak's mentors, and Chris Bourjos, longtime scout and father of former Cards outfielder Peter.
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) October 2, 2020
Roberto Espinoza has many reasons over many years to be fond of Johnson City.
When will MLB be making the official announcement on the 2021 milb structure? After the World Series?
"Memphis Redbirds Owner Peter Freund to Lead MiLB Move into MLB" – new at The Cardinal Nation. (free) https://t.co/P13RuQEeWt pic.twitter.com/QHZ738cxsy
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) October 7, 2020
Kind of off topic but here in NW Ark the NW Arkansas Naturals, AA affiliate of the Royals, announced today that they will be hosting the Royals in an exhibition game on March 29, 2021.
This is encouraging news because it signals, as of now, that MLB plans to start spring training on time and play a full minor league schedule in 2021. At least as of now.
I just answered a question on Facebook about this. They have to find some way to play minor league ball in 2021. A second year without player development would be devastating as would a second year with no revenue for minor league team owners.
Not just related to this, but to the entire organization, DeWitt III says they are building three financial models for 2021 – back to normal, partial capacity and worst case. The problem coming into this winter is they don’t know which model to follow.
Not just related to this, but to the entire organization, DeWitt III says they are building three financial models for 2021 – back to normal, partial capacity and worst case. The problem coming into this winter is they don’t know which model to follow.
That is true which is why we might see a very tepid off season by all teams until they get more clarification from the health experts on what to expect in 2021. The winter meetings will probably be a snooze fest, which they have been the last couple of years anyway.
We have also used this thread to talk about the broader cuts going on across the game. The Athletic is running a piece looking at the potential impact of the layoffs – especially in areas like scouting.
The broad theme is an internal conflict within teams between the business side and the baseball side regarding investment and expense.
This of course is part of what is behind the reduction of 42 minor league teams…
If I owned the State College Spikes, I would be really upset.
To lay out as best we understand MLB's proposed plans for summer:
College rising freshmen/sophomores: Appy League
College rising juniors: Cape Cod League
College rising seniors (draft eligible): new league incorporating NY-P teams. https://t.co/usIZ9yhFW2— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) October 29, 2020
Yikes. I remember when my local team was in the NY Penn League. That league is gonna be a ghost town unless there’s a great incentive for juniors to stay in school. Which I can’t imagine will happen.
More details about proposed facility upgrade requirements.
I found one particular comment most interesting. A team official wondered if his team could opt out of the 120 keepers if the facility upgrade expense is too high for them to handle. I bet that MLB would love it.
MLB has proposed a host of travel-related changes for the minors in 2021.
Its goal? To improve the day-to-day livelihoods of players and coaches.
But implementing them would be costly for many franchises.
Details: https://t.co/H0sLDLr3XD
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 2, 2020
Interesting article. I am pleased that the switch between the Midwest League and FSL still appears to be a go. That is good news for Peoria and it makes much more sense to have the GCL and FSL teams only one level apart.
I also found it interesting that San Antonio and Wichita may be coming back to the Texas League.
The first shoe to drop is really interesting. The Yankees are hooking up with a current indy team and the NYPL affiliate of the Rays. The owner of Staten Island, one of the losers, is already threatening legal action. The lawyers will be the only winners.
Speculation is that the rest of the moves across the game may be out in the next two weeks as 160 teams drop to 120.
The New York Yankees will have minor league affiliates in Somerset and Hudson Valley in 2021 and beyond and will not be affiliated with Trenton and Staten Island, Baseball America has learned from multiple sources. ($)https://t.co/1Glz2EQ1oP
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) November 6, 2020
Having the Yankees affiliate in Hudson Valley will certainly help the attendance there. That might become a tough ticket. Does that put State College in play for the Card’s system?
No, I do not see a parallel. Hudson Valley is less than 90 minutes from Yankee Stadium. State College is not close to anything other than Pittsburgh, and even that is 2 1/2 hours away. Those two used to be affiliated, but the respective team owners had a falling out. The bigger question for me is what league State College would be in even if they reunite with the Pirates. MLB is trying to cut travel, which hurts SC badly.
For the Cardinals, if they kept State College, they would almost certainly have to dump Peoria, which is far more convenient geographically. I can’t see them making that tradeoff, even if there was a nearby league somehow for SC to play in.
Looks like declare time for State College’s future is today. Their Option B, if there is one, is not clear, though it could be independent ball.
Major League Baseball has asked New York-Penn League teams to indicate by today whether they are interested in being part of the summer wood bat league MLB recently proposed. Teams not interested will likely have other options as well. ($)https://t.co/nAIRnvy3jB
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) November 9, 2020
Well the restructuring isn’t 100% settled but it appears it’s probably going to look like this:
AAA – Two leagues: one in the eastern half (International) and one in the western half (Pacific Coast)
AA – Three leagues: one in the central (Texas), one in the south (Southern), and one in the east (Eastern).
A+ – Three leagues: one in the midwest (Midwest – moved from Class A), one in the northwest (Northwest – moved from Class A Short-season), and one in the mid-Atlantic region (Mid-Atlantic – new league made up of teams from northeast and Carolinas)
A – Three league: one in California (California League – moved from High Class A), one in Florida (Florida State – moved from High Class A), and one in the southeast (new league combined of Carolina and South Atlantic leagues)
R – Three leagues: one in Florida (Gulf Coast), one in Arizona, and one international (Dominican Summer)Pioneer League will be a MLB partner league along with the Frontier, Atlantic and American Association leagues.
Appalachian League agreed to operate as a summer amateur wood-bat league for rising college freshmen and sophomores in conjunction with USA Baseball.
Some New York-Penn League teams will be part of the MLB Draft League, operated in conjunction with Prep Baseball Report. The league will be for college seniors to play and be scouted in advance of the July draft each year, with college juniors being encouraged to play in the Cape Cod League.
Source:
The list of 120 teams is coming soon.
MLB will present a contract—the Professional Development License—to individual owners.
If an owner opts not to sign the PDL, MLB would likely move on to a team left out of the original 120 to fill the open slot.https://t.co/D8dMD9u339 pic.twitter.com/JF8Cqa4lcv
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 29, 2020
A real dilemma for Fresno. Accept demotion to Class A or get nothing.
In the final days of the long-running MLB-MiLB talks, MLB has presented what appears to be an ultimatum to the Fresno Grizzlies:
Accept a move to Class A or be dropped from affiliated baseball altogether.https://t.co/HVq6mWiG2b pic.twitter.com/CUjuNMo2tA
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 29, 2020
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