We’re down to just a few teams needing to reach player-development deals for the 2013-2014 seasons, and we expect the logjam to break when the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) announce their affiliation deal later today.
There are three teams without affiliation deals in the Midwest League — the River Bandits, the Burlington Bees and the Beloit Snappers — and three MLB teams needing an affiliate: the Houston Astros, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Oakland A’s. Since there are no logical regional teams in the mix, it will be interesting to see what the MiLB teams use as a criteria: the A’s and the Angels are strong national brands (especially since both team are playoff contenders), but Houston sports perhaps the best farm system in baseball right now.
Here’s a look at the current affiliate status.
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!