Transactions, Free Agents, and More MLB-MiLB Details
Let’s start with the easiest…
TRANSACTIONS
Per Baseball America, the Nats signed the following minor-leaguers:
- C Jakson Reetz
- 1B-OF Aldrem Corredor
- RHPs – Joan Baez, Paolo Espino, Francis Peguero, Ronald Peña, Mario Sanchez
- SS Manuel Gerardo
- UT Brandon Snyder
FREE AGENTS
Likewise, the following former Washington players were granted/elected free agency:
- Cs – Welington Castillo, Taylor Gushue, Jake Lowery, Matt Reistetter, Adderling Ruiz
- IFs – Bengie Gonzalez, Jacob Wilson
- OFs – Rafael Bautista
- RHPs – James Bourque, Angel Guillen, Austen Williams
Now, a little more difficult…
NEW TRAVEL RULES PROPOSED FOR MiLB
While the responsibility to pay for upgrades to facilities may be ultimately borne by cities and counties, new travel/scheduling rules are going on the tab of minor-league owners*.
* No, I’m not naïve; of course all these new costs are going to be passed along via higher ticket prices, concessions, parking, fees, etc.
Among the highlights:
- A reduction of “commuter” trips from 100 miles to 50 miles
- A minimum of two buses for road trips; at least one sleeper bus for trips of 250 miles or more
- Trips of 350 miles or more must be via air (AAA) or on an off day (AA or below)
- Trips of 550 miles must always be by air
- AAA trips of 350-550 miles can be by bus with:
- Permission from MLB
- There are no direct flights from City A to City B
- Taken on off days
Obviously, these would be dramatic improvements for the players, and probably should have been in place but for (a) lack of a union for minor leaguers (b) lack of empathy by MLB prior to the current lawsuits. Don’t get all misty-eyed: remember MLB has always had the ability to pay and mandate for these things; they’re just trying to get someone else to do both because they have them over a barrel.
But as BA points out, these costs would be more than double than what minor-league owners had to pay previously, and in some places (e.g. Texas League) even more given how spread out the league is. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that this will require more off days (also part of the proposal, with a minimum of one per 15 days instead of one per 30).
The proposal also includes requiring permission for games before noon – which are often quite profitable for teams able to suck..er, sell out to schools and camps – and restrictions on games starting at 4 p.m. or earlier if the teams have to travel more than 150 miles by bus afterward.
Throw in MLB’s desire to reduce the number of games from 140 or more to perhaps as few as 120 at some levels, and you can envision not just fewer games but more games at odd times (e.g. 4 p.m. on Thursday, a.k.a. dinnertime in Florida).
This brings us to…
MORE DETAILS ON THE MLB-MiLB COUP D’ÉTAT
I’ll cut to the chase – still no word on the final list of 120. But there are some tidbits in Ballpark Digest’s story published yesterday.
Perhaps the most salient is the possible changes at the currently known as High- and Low-A levels, including a fourth High-A league (Mid-Atlantic League) and all-but-certain shift of the Northwest League from SS-A to High-A while both Florida State League (now 10 teams) and the California League (still eight) drop to Low-A, while the Sally League drops to 12 teams.
Where it gets dicey is the new High-A and how that’s divvied up. According to the article, the Midwest League also shifts to High-A and the article hints that the Northwest League will drop to six teams. What not clear is how they’ll slice down the Midwest League (10 teams?) and how many will be in the new high-A league (six?).
The complicating factor appears to be the NYPL, for which some affiliates may shift as high as AA, while others may seek to join Mid-Atlantic League. MLB has proposed a similar solution to the Applachian League (become a collegiate wood-bat league), but the vastly different sizes of markets seems to be an obstacle, e.g. Auburn vs. Aberdeen, as the larger-market teams may hold out or try to join the independents.
At the AA and AAA levels, but BPD thinks the changes will be less dramatic: perhaps a third AAA league, and some shuffling in of the two major independents (Sugar Land Skeeters and St. Paul Saints).
Without the “Final 120,” much of this speculation could be wrong. Caveat emptor.
Lots of info to digest Luke.
Hagerstown is sure to get the axe but where do Nats get their Low A city.
Thats a LOT of catchers gone!
The list of signings of minor-league free agents provided a “duh” moment of clarity on the addition of Fuentes to the 40-man: he was set to become a minor-league free agent, much more likely to be lost that way than in Rule 5. I’m sorta surprised they let Reetz float through that limbo for the same reason. Since they didn’t add him before he became an FA, they likely won’t add him before Rule 5.
I’m pleasantly surprised to see Mario Sanchez re-sign with the Nats yet again. I have no idea why he wasn’t at least at the Fredericksburg camp, as he’s a lot closer to MLB-ready than many others there.
You never know who might wander back into the fold, but farewells might be in order for some guys we’ve followed for a long time like Bautista, Bourque, and Austen Williams. All three got MLB cups of coffee and forever will be “major-leaguers.” Williams in particular seemed to have caught lightning in a bottle, only to be hit by a series of major injuries. Happy trails, err, base paths, to these and the others who are departing.
Luke, what’s your take on Fuentes after seeing him for a lengthy stretch at Potomac? He’s always had good numbers and struck out a lot of guys, but I was surprised to see them move him up to starting in 2019.
It’s been too long for any memories of mine to be applicable. Plus, he was still a reliever then and that skews things further.
I truly hope Rizzo gets more creative than adding Ozuna and
MASH unit guy , T Walker .
Anybody wonder about Bellinger in LA jettison ??
Now the Nats are the most interesting rebuild in MLB since the Friars and Rays made the “ Hey Wuhan 19 “ musical chairs carnival with barely no fans like a Rays home game
So if I’m reading this correctly, sounds like Nashville and Rochester are the two open slots for AAA, with the Nationals and Brewers as the two needing homes? This assumes Astros to Sugar Land, Rangers back to Round Rock, and Twins to St. Paul. San Antonio to AA and Fresno to Low A (ouch!) leaves the Nats and Brew homeless. I’m guessing Rochester will be the new AAA site in 2021.
Figuring High A is really difficult. It would be a bloodbath to cut the Midwest League from sixteen down to ten teams. It reads to me that the other two High A Leagues will also be six teams like the Northwest League, with the MW at twelve, but hard to figure it out without knowing the final 120 teams. You could carve out a nice six-team Mid Atlantic League with Fredericksburg plus Lakewood (now Jersey Shore), Lynchburg, Salem, Wilmington, and whatever team the Orioles want at that level. Likewise, I guess Fredericksburg could drop down to Low A, with maybe Wilmington being the new High A team? Nice facilities, about two hours from both DC and Harrisburg.
Sao, is this you? Or do we have a new person on board who is really up to speed on minor-league locations?
Between Rochester and Nashville, there are more flights to Nashville, and it’s an easier drive. However, Nashville is in the geographic disaster laughingly known as the PCL. So who knows where, across three-fourths of the U.S., your players might be at the time you might need them. So yeah, the IL is probably a better bet, all in all.
Nope, not Sao. I’m not a regular here, just a guy who’s been closely following the MiLB reconfig, and stumbled across this great site not too long ago.
The general consensus seems to be that the PCL is going to drop down in size; it’ll be more true to the “Pacific” in it’s name, and be made up of the ten affiliates of the AL and NL West teams.
We’ll either see the rest of those teams join the International League, or possibly a new league made up of those teams and a handful of IL teams (for us old timers, a third league similar to the old American Association).
Welcome aboard! Glad to have your insights. Yes, the PCL has to be reorganized, and that reorganization should include reshuffling with the International League. If MLB is going to blow things up, logical, geographical realignment should be a part of the new outcome. It would save money on travel, reduce travel wear and tear on the players, and make the players more accessible to the MLB clubs that need them.
But since logic is involved in such notions, they’re probably not a part of the current, totally illogical debate!
Haha, true, and thanks!
Chin, let me also welcome you aboard. You sure seem smarter than me .
I hope you like bulldogs!
Haha, thanks. As a South Carolina resident, as long as they’re not Georgia Bulldogs, I’m cool with them.
The plan as of today was to move 2-4 teams from the PCL to the IL. Having Nashville in the IL makes a big difference.
Yes, my biggest concern with Nashville would be when the team is out playing in Reno, or Albuquerque, or somewhere else all the way across the country. Fresno was just awful for the Nats, bu I know some other teams have done similar things, like the Mets and Vegas for a few years. Anyway, take Nashville out of the PCL and it becomes a lot better option. Geographically, Rochester is a bit closer to DC, but there would be a lot better travel options to Nashville. Either Nashville or Rochester is still a very long day’s drive, though. Richmond would be more ideal, if that ever would become a possibility, or Norfolk.
Rumors came out last night that the Yankees are moving their AA team to Somerset (currently an independent league team), and one of their A affiliates to Hudson Valley, currently (formerly?) the Rays’ NY-Penn league affiliate.
It sounds like the Hudson Valley team will be Advanced/High A, so I think this means we’re going to see that new Mid Atlantic League that’s been rumored. I wonder if that’s where Fredericksburg will end up.
Well, now that the election is over (woo!), not long now before we find out which members of Congress MLB was trying not to punch in the mouth before Americans were done voting.