The Nashville Sounds will again be the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers after being invited to rejoin the organization Wednesday.
Nashville, the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, the High Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Low Class A Carolina Mudcats were extended invitations by the Brewers to be part of their minor-league system for 2021. Rocky Mountain, a short-season team that had been part of the Brewers’ organization, did not receive an invite.
The #Brewers have extended invitations to four Minor League teams to become affiliates in Major League Baseball’s new player development structure. pic.twitter.com/nD47i4onkx
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) December 9, 2020
Also, all affiliates have to review and agree to new rules set forth by MLB before the deals become official. Minor-league teams also got their first look at those rules Wednesday.
Reorganizing the Minors
MLB took over operations of Minor League Baseball this year and reduced the number of affiliated teams from 160 to 120.
There were 119 invitations sent, with 29 of the 30 MLB teams aligning with teams at the Triple-A, Double-A, High Class A and Low Class A levels. All 30 teams will also have a rookie-level team based out of their spring training facility.
The Colorado Rockies are the only team not to invite a Low Class-A team. They are awaiting a decision by Fresno, which should come Thursday, on whether it will accept a move from Triple-A to Low Class A and remain affiliated.
Nashville is Back
Meanwhile, the Brewers are returning to Nashville after a six-year absence. The Sounds surprisingly left the Brewers to scramble for a new Triple-A team during the affiliate shuffle following the 2014 season. Nashville had been with the Brewers since 2005.
In 2014, Nashville signed a new working agreement with the Oakland A’s, which lasted four years. The Sounds have been part of the Texas Rangers‘ system the last two years.
The Brewers were also denied a chance to play in First Horizon Park, which opened in 2015 and replaced Herschel Greer Stadium. Instead, the Brewers were relegated to Colorado Springs as its Triple-A affiliate from 2015-18. The San Antonio Missions have been the Triple-A team the last two years.
Class-A Flip
In another noteworthy move, the Brewers retained their two Class A affiliates — with a little twist. MLB reclassified the Carolina League as Low Class A and the Midwest League as High Class A. With the Brewers already having affiliates in those leagues, Wisconsin moves up a notch and the Mudcats down one.
“We are eager to invite these four teams and their communities to join with us in developing tomorrow’s Brewers stars,” Tom Flanagan, the Brewers’ vice president of minor league operations, said in a statement released by the team. “We have a strong development history with each, and we look forward to building upon it in the years ahead.”
A New Look
MLB made the move to restructure the minors for several reasons, including to reduce travel. Many of the cities in the short-season leagues that were eliminated also strongly objected to losing their affiliations.
However, MLB tried to smooth over those relationships by creating two new leagues that are not affiliated with MLB franchises. Those new leagues will keep organized baseball in some of those cities.
More Changes
Of the 160 teams that had been affiliates, 11 did not receive invitations. Two teams from independent ball, the St. Paul Saints and Sugar Land Skeeters, are now MLB affiliates. Both are now Triple-A teams, with St. Paul in the Minnesota Twins‘ system and Sugar Land aligned with the Houston Astros.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
