Report: 42 minor-league teams could lose MLB affiliation
Major League Baseball is proposing a restructuring to its minor-league system that includes the removal of 42 teams, according to The New York Times.
| Team | Level | MLB Affiliate |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn Doubledays | Short-Season A | Nationals |
| Batavia Muckdogs | Short-Season A | Marlins |
| Billings Mustangs | Advanced Rookie | Reds |
| Binghamton Rumble Ponies | Double-A | Mets |
| Bluefield Blue Jays | Advanced Rookie | Blue Jays |
| Bristol Pirates | Rookie | Pirates |
| Burlington Bees | Single-A | Angels |
| Burlington Royals | Rookie | Royals |
| Chattanooga Lookouts | Double-A | Reds |
| Clinton LumberKings | Single-A | Marlins |
| Connecticut Tigers | Short-Season A | Tigers |
| Danville Braves | Rookie | Braves |
| Daytona Tortugas | Advanced A | Reds |
| Elizabethton Twins | Rookie | Twins |
| Erie SeaWolves | Double-A | Tigers |
| Florida Fire Frogs | Advanced A | Braves |
| Frederick Keys | Advanced A | Orioles |
| Grand Junction Rockies | Rookie | Rockies |
| Great Falls Voyagers | Advanced Rookie | White Sox |
| Greeneville Reds | Rookie | Reds |
| Hagerstown Suns | Single-A | Nationals |
| Idaho Falls Chukars | Advanced Rookie | Royals |
| Jackson Generals | Double-A | Diamondbacks |
| Johnson City Cardinals | Rookie | Cardinals |
| Kingsport Mets | Rookie | Mets |
| Lancaster Jethawks | Advanced A | Rockies |
| Lexington Legends | Single-A | Royals |
| Lowell spinners | Short-Season A | Red Sox |
| Mahoning Valley Scrappers | Short-Season A | Indians |
| Missoula PaddleHeads | Advanced Rookie | Diamondbacks |
| Ogden Raptors | Advanced Rookie | Dodgers |
| Orem Owlz | Advanced Rookie | Angels |
| Princeton Rays | Advanced Rookie | Rays |
| Quad Cities River Bandits | Single-A | Astros |
| Rocky Mountain Vibes | Rookie | Brewers |
| Salem-Keizer Volcanoes | Short-Season A | Giants |
| State College Spikes | Short-Season A | Cardinals |
| Staten Island Yankees | Short-Season A | Yankees |
| Tri-City Dust Devils | Short-Season A | Padres |
| Vermont Lake Monsters | Short-Season A | Athletics |
| West Virginia Power | Single-A | Mariners |
| Williamsport Crosscutters | Short-Season A | Phillies |
The league said the change is necessary to improve efficiency and conditions of facilities, The New York Times reports.
An October report initially suggested MLB was considering a significant overhaul to the minor-league system.
If this plan - or a version of it - is adopted, the remaining minor-league system would need to be restructured.
"My job is to save baseball in all 42 of those communities," MiLB president and chief executive Pat O'Conner told Dan Barry of The New York Times.
The planned proposal is in its early stages, but the league hopes to implement it prior to the 2021 season after the current agreement between MLB and MiLB expires. If these teams are eliminated, a "Dream League" of undrafted players could be formed, sources told David Waldstein of The New York Times in October.