Can't the Nats get a AAA team closer to home? (YES! Rochester)

[Slateman]

It seems like the guys who they want to get in development, like Crowe and C. Kieboom, stay in Fresno, but the guys who are on a shuttle and they care less about development (like McGowin and Sanchez) stay in Harrisburg. Reminds me, where's Taylor?

Harrisburg, but I think that was more performance related.

[GburgNatsFan]

Small sample size but Stevenson is 6 for 17 and an .888 OPS.  Also gives them another lefty bat off the bench.

God damnit. Stop with the careful analysis.

[aspenbubba]

Harrisburg, but I think that was more performance related.

Fresno

[Natsinpwc]

Fresno

Taylor is in Harrisburg.

[Slateman]

When are you done with this crappy arrangement?

[nfotiu]

It seems like the guys who they want to get in development, like Crowe and C. Kieboom, stay in Fresno, but the guys who are on a shuttle and they care less about development (like McGowin and Sanchez) stay in Harrisburg. Reminds me, where's Taylor?

It's usually the opposite, isn't it?   Hot shot prospects usually stay in AA, and guys you can bring in when needed and jouneymen are at AAA.  I guess you could adjust your coaching and players to flip that in this situation. 

[LincolnDD]

The Orioles might move to Nashville?

https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/nashville-orioles-baltimore-needs-a-local-buyer-to-step-up-to-the-plate/2019/08/11

"Hey Norfolk, wouldn't you rather have a regional affiliate...?"   

(Can't see the Orioles realistically moving to Nashville.)

[aspenbubba]

Taylor is in Harrisburg.

I saw a Taylor on a box score for Fresno last week and assumed it was MAT. It was Chuck Taylor

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I saw a Taylor on a box score for Fresno last week and assumed it was MAT. It was Chuck Taylor

I have his sneakers.

[Natsinpwc]

Taco Tuesday did not go well.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-dies-competing-taco-eating-contest-fresno-grizzlies/story?id=64972124&cid=clicksource_4380645_null_twopack_hed

[Slateman]

Taco Tuesday did not go well.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-dies-competing-taco-eating-contest-fresno-grizzlies/story?id=64972124&cid=clicksource_4380645_null_twopack_hed

Not a great season for the Griz

[imref]

Not a great season for the Griz

heck of a way to go out though.

[GburgNatsFan]

Jeez.

[LincolnDD]

I know attention is obviously focused elsewhere right now  (), but there are some rumblings about a pending radical realignment of the entire structure of Minor League Baseball that sure feels like the "out" we're looking for when it comes to Fresno:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/sports/baseball/minor-league-changes.html

“We are in discussions with the owners of the Minor League teams to reorganize elements of the system with the goal of improving the working conditions of minor league players,” M.L.B. said in a statement, “including upgrading the facilities to Major League standards, increasing player compensation, reducing travel time between affiliates for road games, improving transportation and hotel accommodations, increasing the number of off days, and providing better geographical affiliations between the M.L.B. Clubs and affiliates.”

...For some minor league teams, the proposal could mean losing their affiliation with M.L.B. clubs. The most vulnerable teams are those in the Appalachian League, Northwest League and New York-Penn League. Other short-season teams, like the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ short-season team in the New York-Penn League, could be converted to full-season teams, perhaps even in higher levels like Class AA...

Edit:  Here's Baseball America's take on it, which is a little more detailed and informative, imo…

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-floats-proposal-that-would-eliminate-42-minor-league-teams/

The proposal is described as a preliminary offering subject to alteration. But if the proposal, or some version of it, is adopted, it will lead to the most dramatic restructuring of the minor leagues in more than half a century. Under the proposal, not only would more than 25 percent of MiLB teams be eliminated, but the remaining leagues would also be dramatically reworked with some leagues getting much smaller, others getting bigger, and teams switching classification levels all around the country...

...MLB also wants to completely rework the PDC process to ensure MLB clubs can have MiLB affiliates that meet their desires geographically. To do so, they want to eliminate the current two-year PDC process and replace it with much longer-lasting MLB-MiLB franchise agreements. Doing so would give the MLB clubs much more certainty, but it would also eliminate the negotiating leverage MiLB teams currently have every two years.

...The proposal also completely reorganizes the full-season minor leagues. While there would still be Triple-A, Double-A, high Class A and low Class A, those four levels would be completely reworked to make the leagues much more geographically compact. In Triple-A, the Pacific Coast League would shift from 14 teams to 10. The International League would grow to 20 teams. The 14-team low Class A South Atlantic League would be turned into a six-team league with a new Mid-Atlantic league springing up...

...Under MLB’s proposal, some teams would be asked to move from Class A to Triple-A. Others would be asked to move from Triple-A to Class A, and there would be other less dramatic moves as well.

Pretty sure earlier I suggested they shrink the PCL     And honestly, Fresno makes a LOT of sense as a High A team in the Cal League (even if their stadium is larger than most High A capacity stadiums).  So could this mean Richmond being promoted AAA (maybe replaced in AA by Brooklyn)? 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Would have been nice for Fredericksburg to know before they built out the new park

[imref]

thanks for sharing that Lincoln.  I'd assume that any effort to reduce the number of minor league teams would run into union opposition.  25% would mean a massive reduction in players.  It would also likely open the door to massive lawsuits by minor league teams, parks, governments, etc., who would lose their franchises.  I don't think growing independent leagues would be a viable offset as a primary draw for minor league teams is a chance to get to see future MLB players or rehabbing Major League players. 

[Elvir Ovcina]

Would have been nice for Fredericksburg to know before they built out the new park

If anything, it would have accelerated it.  This proposal looks to me like MLB putting a gun to every MiLB team with an old stadium and going "Nice franchise you got there.  Be a shame if something happened there without a nice new stadium."  This is a gut punch for Hagerstown and others in similar positions, as well as (obviously) the entirety of the Rookie and short-season system. 

[UMDNats]

Mark Lerner must have gotten wind of this before last offseason, which would explain why we didn't push super hard for Nashville or outright purchase a team.

[GburgNatsFan]

The answer is still "no."

[HalfSmokes]

thanks for sharing that Lincoln.  I'd assume that any effort to reduce the number of minor league teams would run into union opposition.  25% would mean a massive reduction in players.  It would also likely open the door to massive lawsuits by minor league teams, parks, governments, etc., who would lose their franchises.  I don't think growing independent leagues would be a viable offset as a primary draw for minor league teams is a chance to get to see future MLB players or rehabbing Major League players. 

Minor league players aren’t union members, if anything they might support it to avoid players on rehab assignments playing on sub-par surfaces

[LincolnDD]

Really interesting podcast on the BA site about this:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/podcast-inside-mlbs-dramatic-proposal-to-change-minor-league-baseball/

[LincolnDD]

I was curious about how potential realignment and contraction might affect things over the next year, but seems like it's business as usual:

Rays and Durham just extended their PDC through 2022:  https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/10/24/bulls-rays-extend-affiliation-through-2022/

The Low-A Asheville Tourists renewed their lease on McCormick Field, a very old ballpark that seems make the city a contraction target:  https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/10/23/tourists-extend-mccormick-field-lease-through-2021/

[GburgNatsFan]

Thanks!

Really interesting podcast on the BA site about this:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/podcast-inside-mlbs-dramatic-proposal-to-change-minor-league-baseball/

[GburgNatsFan]

Mark Lerner must have gotten wind of this before last offseason, which would explain why we didn't push super hard for Nashville or outright purchase a team.

4D chess?

[comish4lif]

When are you done with this crappy arrangement?

The Nats/Fresno agreement was for 2 years - so, at the end of the 2020 season.

But, don't expect much better next time around. The Nats would have to find an existing affiliate that is closer than Fresno AND also wants to break their existing arrangement. Also note Norfolk, Lehigh, Scranton and Syracuse are all not available due to ownership arrangements with the big league clubs.

https://www.milb.com/fresno/news/fresno-grizzlies-and-washington-nationals-agree-to-player-development-contract-for-2019-and-2020-seasons/c-295101328