Richmond Flying Squirrels

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Where is the Vegas AAA franchise moving once the As are there? 

In looking over the AAA affiliations, there isn't really a logical team to want to switch from a PCL affiliate to Rochester, so my idea of switching Vegas to Richmond and having a organization with a PCL affiliation switch to Rochester and the As backfilling probably doesn't work.

To my eye, the Nats and Rochester are close to the worst affiliation geographically other than the Dodgers and OKC and whoever is in El Paso. I don't think there's an Eastern or a Midwestern team affiliated with the PCL

[Natsinpwc]

How about let Rochester have the Giants double A and we take Richmond as Triple A after they upgrade the stadium.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

How about let Rochester have the Giants double A and we take Richmond as Triple A after they upgrade the stadium.

not sure you can convince Rochester to go down a level, but that would be the easiest, of course. Rochester is within the Eastern League's footprint.

[Natsinpwc]

not sure you can convince Rochester to go down a level, but that would be the easiest, of course. Rochester is within the Eastern League's footprint.

Make them an offer they can’t refuse. Or shut down another triple A team and send it to Rochester.

[aspenbubba]

How about let Rochester have the Giants double A and we take Richmond as Triple A after they upgrade the stadium.

That just doesn't work for Rochester and it is doesn't make sense as it didn't for the Nats and Fresno.

[HalfSmokes]

Where is the Vegas AAA franchise moving once the As are there? 

In looking over the AAA affiliations, there isn't really a logical team to want to switch from a PCL affiliate to Rochester, so my idea of switching Vegas to Richmond and having a organization with a PCL affiliation switch to Rochester and the As backfilling probably doesn't work.

To my eye, the Nats and Rochester are close to the worst affiliation geographically other than the Dodgers and OKC and whoever is in El Paso. I don't think there's an Eastern or a Midwestern team affiliated with the PCL

Bold to assume Vegas is getting an mlb team. I think it’s more likely that the river cats need a new home

[nfotiu]

That just doesn't work for Rochester and it is doesn't make sense as it didn't for the Nats and Fresno.

Why is Rochester a worse place for the Giants than Richmond?   I can't imagine Rochester has any significant fan loyalty to the Nats.

It seemed like the main hold up was that the Giants like Richmond, but the MLB gets to make the call.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

That just doesn't work for Rochester and it is doesn't make sense as it didn't for the Nats and Fresno.

not quite right. There is no west coast AA league so the Giants are going to have a distant AA franchise. Rochester and Richmond probably have the same difficulty in travel arrangements so the Giants may not have as much of a stake in staying in Richmond as the Nats had in finding an International League AAA affiliate rather than one in the Pacific Coast League.

As for Rochester, you are right, assuming they would rather be in AAA than AA. That's why I was trying to figure out a way Rochester could stay in AAA by reshuffling other teams' affiliations and affiliates after Vegas loses its AAA team.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Bold to assume Vegas is getting an mlb team. I think it’s more likely that the river cats need a new home

As long as the As move to a current PCL city, there's going to have to be some reshuffling. That might present the opportunity to add Richmond to International League and make some place like Trenton an AA team rather than Atlantic League.

[Natsinpwc]

Why is Rochester a worse place for the Giants than Richmond?   I can't imagine Rochester has any significant fan loyalty to the Nats.

It seemed like the main hold up was that the Giants like Richmond, but the MLB gets to make the call.

Yes. It’s not much different for the Giants.

[nfotiu]

not quite right. There is no west coast AA league so the Giants are going to have a distant AA franchise. Rochester and Richmond probably have the same difficulty in travel arrangements so the Giants may not have as much of a stake in staying in Richmond as the Nats had in finding an International League AAA affiliate rather than one in the Pacific Coast League.

As for Rochester, you are right, assuming they would rather be in AAA than AA. That's why I was trying to figure out a way Rochester could stay in AAA by reshuffling other teams' affiliations and affiliates after Vegas loses its AAA team.

Is there a big enough difference between AA and AAA for Rochester to really care?   They draw less now with an AAA team than Richmond and 2 other AA teams.   Well behind the high A team in Dayton (I had no idea they had a 23 year sell out streak).

https://ballparkdigest.com/2023/10/16/2023-milb-attendance-by-average/

The top prospects seem to spend about as much time in AA as they do in AAA the year before they are called up.

[Natsinpwc]

Is there a big enough difference between AA and AAA for Rochester to really care?   They draw less now with an AAA team than Richmond and 2 other AA teams.   Well behind the high A team in Dayton (I had no idea they had a 23 year sell out streak).

https://ballparkdigest.com/2023/10/16/2023-milb-attendance-by-average/

The top prospects seem to spend about as much time in AA as they do in AAA the year before they are called up.

Correct. Really more MLB castoffs in Triple A. The weather will not change and that’s probably what hurts their attendance the most.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Is there a big enough difference between AA and AAA for Rochester to really care?   They draw less now with an AAA team than Richmond and 2 other AA teams.   Well behind the high A team in Dayton (I had no idea they had a 23 year sell out streak).

https://ballparkdigest.com/2023/10/16/2023-milb-attendance-by-average/

The top prospects seem to spend about as much time in AA as they do in AAA the year before they are called up.

Rochester is far enough from the rest of the Eastern League for MLB to care, especially after Binghamton swaps levels with Brooklyn.

[nfotiu]

Rochester is far enough from the rest of the Eastern League for MLB to care, especially after Binghamton swaps levels with Brooklyn.

Rochester seems to fit much better in the Easter league footprint better than Richmond does.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Rochester seems to fit much better in the Easter league footprint better than Richmond does.

yes. Richmond is only within 3 hours of Bowie and I would guess 5 hours to everyone else. Erie to Rochester I think probably about the same to Rochester and the rest of the Southwest Division distances don't look too much worse.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Rochester seems to fit much better in the Easter league footprint better than Richmond does.

It depends.  That's not a short drive to anywhere except Erie, once Binghamton and Brooklyn switch.  It's probably about a wash in terms of inconvenience.  As opposed to AAA, where Syracuse and Buffalo are right there, it's a tough one.

[varoadking]

Richmond being a Nats affiliate at any level would be oh so welcome for this resident in the Fashionable West End of Henrico County.

I think I have been to a grand total of 1, maybe 2 Flying Squirrels games in the 27 years we've lived here.  The Stadium was crap 27 years ago...has to be in a similar condition as FedEx Field is these days...

So, MLB forced a new stadium for a minor league team here as they did in NOVA a few years ago, but the NFL let's that disaster in Maryland slide.  Lambeau was built in 1957 and is to this day the finest outdoor sports venue I've ever been to.  FedEx Field was built 40 years later in 1997...no doubt with a design developed on a napkin in the 1920's...obstructed views and all. 

[Senatorswin]

Richmond being a Nats affiliate at any level would be oh so welcome for this resident in the Fashionable West End of Henrico County.

I think I have been to a grand total of 1, maybe 2 Flying Squirrels games in the 27 years we've lived here.  The Stadium was crap 27 years ago...has to be in a similar condition as FedEx Field is these days...

So, MLB forced a new stadium for a minor league team here as they did in NOVA a few years ago, but the NFL let's that disaster in Maryland slide.  Lambeau was built in 1957 and is to this day the finest outdoor sports venue I've ever been to.  FedEx Field was built 40 years later in 1997...no doubt with a design developed on a napkin in the 1920's...obstructed views and all.

FEDEX is rated the worst stadium in the NFL but the lease is up after 2027 and a new stadium will be built. It's just a matter of where at this point.

[varoadking]

FEDEX is rated the worst stadium in the NFL but the lease is up after 2027 and a new stadium will be built. It's just a matter of where at this point.

...and when.  They're burnin' daylight...

[LincolnDD]

A little late to this, but I've always found the minor league structure interesting, so I'm happy to stumble across this now.

I think it will happen eventually, it makes too much sense.  I'd say you can circle MiLB's 2031 AAA Opening Day as your first opportunity to see the Richmond Flying Squirrels play as a Nationals affiliate.  There are conceivable (convoluted?) ways to map it out before then, but as others have pointed out, it takes a lot of moving parts, so it just isn't very likely anytime soon.  The current license agreements between MLB teams and affiliates expire after the 2030 season, and expansion should be ready to go by then.  That seems like the perfect time for this to happen.

When they came close to moving to Richmond during the MiLB reconfiguration in late 2020, Rochester was rumored to get the demotion, and would've been the Blue Jay's AA affiliate.  But I don't think it would be easy to force a demotion on Rochester while they're in the middle of those contracts.  And I don't think a demotion would be necessary with expansion pending, so there's no reason for Rochester to agree to that right now.