Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate again in limbo originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Players would land bleary-eyed, tired after a sudden trip from central California to the nation’s capital. Flying from Fresno to Washington became a necessity when the Nationals signed a two-year contract in 2019 for the Fresno Grizzlies to be their Triple-A affiliate. That agreement expired Sept. 30 despite the minor-league season being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.
Which leaves the Nationals without a current Triple-A affiliate and in limbo.
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The organization declined comment about the particulars of the situation. A Fresno spokesperson said the Grizzlies are awaiting the outcome of negotiations between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball to “better understand the affiliation process. So along with other MiLB teams, we have to wait and let those play out.”
The agreement between MLB and MiLB also expired Sept. 30.
Washington arrived here via a convoluted process.
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The New York Mets purchased the Syracuse Chiefs, the Nationals’ former Triple-A affiliate, in 2017 despite the Nationals still operating under an agreement with the Chiefs. The purchase assured the Nationals were out at the end of their Professional Development Contract (or PDC, a widely used acronym in agreements between major- and minor-league teams). So, they in turn needed to find a new Triple-A affiliate.
As did five other teams. Nashville became the most enticing option for the Nationals, but the Rangers secured that spot. Eventually, the Nationals and Brewers were without Triple-A homes and faced with two locations: Fresno or San Antonio. The Nationals ended up in Fresno, illogically playing in the Pacific Coast League.
The travel complications manifested in two ways: one, players were exhausted when they arrived. The lone prompt flight to the East Coast was a red-eye through Chicago that landed at 5 a.m.
Two, a handful of players had to be stashed at Double-A Harrisburg to make them more accessible.
Overall, there was a giant disconnect between the fan base and the organization’s top tier in the minor leagues.
The chairman of Minor League Baseball’s Professional Baseball Agreement negotiating committee, D.G. Elmore, issued a statement Sept. 30 which said the sides are working on a new agreement. Major League Baseball has recently announced agreements with the American Association, Frontier League and Atlantic League of Professional Baseball as “Partner” leagues for MLB.
Major League Baseball is trying to revamp the minor leagues as well as gain more control over how it operates. Baseball America reported MLB wants to cut the minor leagues from 160 teams to 120 as part of major restructuring of the minor leagues, which have operated independently from Major League Baseball since 1901. So, a massive shift in the relationship between MLB and MiLB is coming. In the interim, the Nationals wait without a team for their highest minor-league level.
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Nationals' Triple-A Affiliate Again in Limbo - NBC4 Washington
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