Replacing Nashville as our AAA affiliate once they get an MLB franchise

[liveforoctober]

I'm posting this Jeff Passan clip here for you to watch..
 

Passan says there is a 100% chance MLB expands to 32 teams in the next 5 years and says Nashville will be one of them.

We had a brief discussion about this very topic in a game thread once upon a time and I couldn't find it. But it's a topic I'd love to know more about.

If Nashville gets selected as an MLB satellite - what do you think are the main priorities for selecting a replacement city? Do we think Madison would be up for it? Could Appleton upgrade? Do we want multiple teams in the same climate/risk of same weather patterns?

I'd be curious how the process would work to get a new AAA team when one is just eliminated like this scenario and isn't 'traded'..

 

[nate82]

The Brewers definitely lose Nashville even if the city keeps the AAA team.  I don't see MLB allowing another team to have a AAA team in a MLB city.  There will also be some contraction in the minors and I wouldn't be surprised after contraction MiLB looks something like this:

The DSL becomes the new low A, the spring training facilities become the new High A and then you have AA and AAA.  The low A and High A would have far shorter seasons.  Wilson moves to AA and Appleton to AAA or vice versa.  That would then open up more teams for the new AA and AAA who were either in low A high A or AA to move to AA or AAA.  I think MLB will start eliminating some of the cities that haven't invested in new stadiums or facilities to be eliminated from MiLB.  This would probably be the dream MLB scenario but I think in the end they only eliminate low A from MiLB.

[Ro Mueller]

If the affiliate contracts expire just after the 2030 season, we'll probably see a lot of movement at that time.

MLB may lift cities like San Antonio, Jacksonville, Richmond (new stadium this year) or Dayton to AAA level, then watch the free-for-all as MLB clubs sign new 10-year agreements covering 2031-2040.

I doubt we can pry Indianapolis away from the Pirates, so I won't be surprised if we end up with someone like Dayton or Rochester NY (e.g. if the Nationals switch to a closer location).

[Playing Catch]

5 hours ago, Ro Mueller said:

If the affiliate contracts expire just after the 2030 season, we'll probably see a lot of movement at that time.

MLB may lift cities like San Antonio, Jacksonville, Richmond (new stadium this year) or Dayton to AAA level, then watch the free-for-all as MLB clubs sign new 10-year agreements covering 2031-2040.

I doubt we can pry Indianapolis away from the Pirates, so I won't be surprised if we end up with someone like Dayton or Rochester NY (e.g. if the Nationals switch to a closer location).

Contraction of minors will coincide with expansion draft, I would expect, so there could be a lot of changes. I would be surprised if the Brewers end up with a lousy AAA situation as the organization has so actively developed and invested in their current satellites.

[nate82]

11 hours ago, Ro Mueller said:

MLB may lift cities like San Antonio, Jacksonville, Richmond (new stadium this year) or Dayton to AAA level, then watch the free-for-all as MLB clubs sign new 10-year agreements covering 2031-2040.

MLB assigns the affiliates to a MLB club.  The only contract that is signed is between MLB and the MiLB organizations.  MLB will determine where each MiLB team will be an affiliate of.  The only exception is if a MLB club owns or is a partial owner of a MiLB club.  For example Wilson will always be associated with the Brewers as the Brewers have ownership stake in the club.