One of the issues that has drawn perhaps not as much attention as it should is the quiet but deliberate dismantling of the minor league system to benefit the bottom lines of the MLB team owners by Major League Baseball. Yes, we’ve all heard about how some teams and some levels of the minors are being kicked to the curb, but the more you look into what’s happening, the angrier fans should become.
The first mega changeover occurred at the A-ball level with entire leagues moving up and down from Low A to High A or vice versa. When all of the dust settles you will have a 30-team set of Low A leagues that include the California League, the Florida State League and the Sally League.
In the High A world you will now have the Carolina League, the Midwest League, the New Mid-Atlantic League and the Northwest League. Yes, you need some spreadsheets or graph paper to keep track of all of these changes.
While there is less manipulation of the AAA and AA levels, it’s not all going to be consistent from 2019/2020 into 2021. Three of the AAA teams located currently in Fresno, San Antonio and Wichita will now be considered AA teams. Then Jacksonville, St. Paul and Sugarland will become new AAA teams to affiliate respectively with the Marlins, Twins and Astros.
While the geography makes sense, the impact on the existing AAA team banishment is going to have major impact on those team owners, employees, tax base and fans.
What’s even stranger is how they are dealing with the now defunct leagues. The NY-Penn League will become something of a wannabe venue that’s a mix of college players and unsigned players essentially auditioning to be picked up to fill out vacancies in the diminished number of affiliated minor leagues.
A similar maneuver is being done with the Appalachian League who got a three-year deal with subsidies from MLB while the NY-Penn League did not.
Further confusing the whole scenario is the old notion of independent leagues that exist all over the country. Some MLB clubs for reasons of geography are now affiliating with these teams and cutting loose former affiliates to fend for themselves wherever.
Remember the Trenton Thunder of the New York Yankees? Not anymore...now they will affiliate with the formerly independent league Somerset Patriots.
Perhaps during the Winter Meetings MLB will finally announce the actual list of 120 teams in the minor leagues moving forward but for now that’s all under wraps. It’s very difficult for the teams in the vanquished list to figure out what to do until they receive confirmation from their soon-to-be-former affiliated franchises whether they will or will not remain a part of their parent organization.
There are undoubtedly a great many restless nights for the management, employees and fans of the affected locations. Major League Baseball doesn’t care, of course. Their duty is to make money for the MLB teams and cutting out both teams and leagues runs contrary to that objective.
That minors picture is quite the mess. I wonder also what will happen with the local Long Island Ducks in Islip. Independent team, very nice stadium.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell.
I guess when the musical chairs stop, those with minor league franchises will be relieved and happy, as player compression of 6 teams into 4 will make the overall quality of each franchise's players better. But there will be tons of unhappiness.
Entrepreneurs will somehow form something workable out of the rest.
The big question is: how many players who lose their jobs will somehow go the independent route and eventually become major leaguers of more than minimal impact? My guess? Almost none. But maybe a guy like TJ Rivera would never have seen the light of day. Lugo? He was a 34th rounder. Maybe he never makes it either.
Keith Hernandez and Mike Piazza were late round picks as well.
ReplyDeleteNever knew that about Keith, but maybe he wanted no part of college, had he done a year or two in college, he likely would have jumped way up. Piazza? Can you imagine if he wasn't drafted and gave up on baseball? Wow.
ReplyDeleteThink Keith was 34th round but that fact can be deceiving. Cards drafted him late and paid him a bonus. I think most teams thought he was going to college. Still, he was officially chosen in the late rounds. These days, he'd probably go to College first then enter the draft a few years later.
ReplyDeletePiazza was drafted as a favor to Lasorda. Today, he'd probably sign a $20K contract. His work effort would eventually get him to the bigs like it did in the 90's.