Here's something to keep an eye on: The Rochester club is currently operating under a month-to-month lease to use the stadium there, and the International League president is threatening relocation if the issue isn't resolved with a longer term deal reached. A negotiating tactic to be sure, but instability like that is typically a turn-off for Major League teams looking to affiliate, and the current PDC with Minnesota is up after the season.
https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/andreatta/2018/01/29/rochester-red-wings-frontier-field-lease-cheryl-dinolfo-naomi-silver-monroe-county/1076403001/
The Red Wings are community owned. I'm not sure how the "take possession" would work. Forced sale? The Chiefs were community owned, but obviously that wasn't a forced sale. I remember reading that Syracuse had another team with serious interest in buying them, but they opted for the Mets because the Mets were viewed as more likely to keep the team local (at least in the short term).
Think ownership would be aggressive in a move like this? Nats seem like a logical fit as the other team that tried to buy Syracuse. If so, could they try to get involved here?
Guesses as a new location? Richmond and Jacksonville look like two logical spots.
The current Richmond ownership seems pretty content where they are, but you'd have to think the opportunity to upgrade to AAA would be appealing. They'd have to find a new owner and location for the Squirrels, though. The owner in Wilmington, DE wants to upgrade from his current High A franchise to AA. Rochester sold/moved to Richmond; Richmond sold/moved to Wilmington? Any decent open locations in Carolina League country to take the Wilmington High A team? I know the other Wilmington (NC) flirted with a team a few years ago, but couldn't get stadium approval.
The Jacksonville ownership has wanted AAA for a while, and they've got a really nice, AAA-quality stadium there. There's been some movement in the Southern League in recent years (the Huntsville team moved to Biloxi, and it looks like the Mobile team will soon move to Huntsville), so there's an "open" spot (either Huntsville or Mobile) that could take the current Jacksonville AA team.
Not really. With the expansion before last year, the obvious one (Kinston) got a team, and the league had to stash the other franchise in a bandbox in Buies Creek, NC until a new stadium in Fayetteville is ready in 2019. The CL also has the ongoing issue of the PNats' stadium to deal with, which also would be a potential relocation target. If they're willing to keep the Wilmington team outside the traditional Carolina League territory, though, it might be a bit easier.
