Questions about real life minor league affiliations

[cephasjames]

1. How is it that some teams keep the same affiliated minor league teams for decades, but some switch every 3-5 years?

2. Who decides when teams switch affiliates?

3. Why would someone switch affiliates?

4. Do players stay with the minor league teams or the parent team?

[wish7694]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

1. How is it that some teams keep the same affiliated minor league teams for decades, but some switch every 3-5 years?

Minor league teams sign player development contracts with major league teams that run for several year terms.

Originally Posted by cephasjames

2. Who decides when teams switch affiliates?

It seems like it is done throughout the minors every few years, all the teams just shuffled this past offseason according to Baseball America.

Originally Posted by cephasjames

3. Why would someone switch affiliates?

To be closer to the parent organization, to put their players in better facilities, because the parent team keeps sending non prosepcts to their team.

Originally Posted by cephasjames

4. Do players stay with the minor league teams or the parent team?

The parent team

[Aaron Spew]

I'll answer what I know:

1. How is it that some teams keep the same affiliated minor league teams for decades, but some switch every 3-5 years?

2. Who decides when teams switch affiliates?

The parent team enters into a contract with the affiliate, so both technically decide to work together. Some have working relationships going back decades, and I'm sure that helps keep the status quo.

3. Why would someone switch affiliates?

As as example, the Twins used to have Portland as their AAA team, but recently moved their AAA team to Rochester, NY. The big reason (in my opinion) for getting out of Portland was that it was tough to drag your top pitching prospects through the hitter friendly PCL. So many times, the Twins ended up promoting pitchers directly from AA to the bigs, to avoid them having a morale hit in Portland. I'm sure there are other monetary reasons as well, but I can't really speak on that.

4. Do players stay with the minor league teams or the parent team?

The big league club owns their rights, and if the big league club changes affiliations, the minor league club loses those players.

AS

[cephasjames]

Thanks, both of you. I'm impressed that you beat LGO to the punch. He's usually pretty quick on these minor league questions.

[cephasjames]

dola,

Now I'm curious how '06 handles affiliation changes.

[spark240]

Originally Posted by wish7694

To be closer to the parent organization, to put their players in better facilities, because the parent team keeps sending non prosepcts to their team.

To be clear, the first two items cited here would be motivations for the parent club, while the last would be a motivation for the farm team's ownership. For example, while its true that (as mentioned) the Twins were looking to move their AAA players to a new home a couple years ago, the reason Rochester was available is that the Redwings were sick of being a part of a poorly-run Orioles system.

[UKRedsFan]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

dola,

Now I'm curious how '06 handles affiliation changes.

When I changed a few affiiliations, the players stayed with the minor league club they were already at, and their old parent club lost them to the new parent club.

[Lidstrom]

Originally Posted by UKRedsFan

When I changed a few affiiliations, the players stayed with the minor league club they were already at, and their old parent club lost them to the new parent club.

Woah. That is crummy. Guess it is important that everyone remove all the players from a team before changing the affiliation.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by Lidstrom

Woah. That is crummy. Guess it is important that everyone remove all the players from a team before changing the affiliation.

That could... suck.

[spark240]

Originally Posted by UKRedsFan

When I changed a few affiiliations, the players stayed with the minor league club they were already at, and their old parent club lost them to the new parent club.

I hadn't gone as far as changing affiliations yet, so I didn't realize this is what would happen. Obviously most people, who are trying to more or less follow the modern affiliation model, will see this as a bug or flaw.

However I should point out that this is actually the CORRECT approach if you're trying to mimic the earliest days of farm-team arrangements. In those days the minor league teams were more like today's independents than like today's affiliated minors. The minor teams were pretty much responsible for finding their own players, their primary interest was in being financially successful in their own towns and competitive in their own leagues (as opposed to developing players for the big club), they received little direct support from the major league organization, and their affiliation agreement simply meant that they would, from time to time, sell the contracts of certain players to that major league team, and not to any others.

In THIS scenario, if a minor club changed affiliations, they WOULD keep all their current players; it would mean only that, henceforth, their occasional sales would be to a different major club.

[cephasjames]

Originally Posted by spark240

I hadn't gone as far as changing affiliations yet, so I didn't realize this is what would happen. Obviously most people, who are trying to more or less follow the modern affiliation model, will see this as a bug or flaw.

However I should point out that this is actually the CORRECT approach if you're trying to mimic the earliest days of farm-team arrangements. In those days the minor league teams were more like today's independents than like today's affiliated minors. The minor teams were pretty much responsible for finding their own players, their primary interest was in being financially successful in their own towns and competitive in their own leagues (as opposed to developing players for the big club), they received little direct support from the major league organization, and their affiliation agreement simply meant that they would, from time to time, sell the contracts of certain players to that major league team, and not to any others.

In THIS scenario, if a minor club changed affiliations, they WOULD keep all their current players; it would mean only that, henceforth, their occasional sales would be to a different major club.

I like when people give little history lessons. Thanks, spark.

[hefalumps]

Originally Posted by UKRedsFan

When I changed a few affiiliations, the players stayed with the minor league club they were already at, and their old parent club lost them to the new parent club.

Hm... in that case I guess you could just rename the teams instead of changing their affiliation. That lets you keep the players affiliated with the same ML team but updates the team name.

So for example when the Orioles, Expos, and Twins all switch AAA affiliates in 2003, you would:

1) rename Rochester Red Wings (BAL) to Ottawa Lynx (BAL)
2) rename Edmonton Trappers (MIN) to Rochester Red Wings (MIN)
3) rename old Ottawa Lynx (MON) to Edmonton Trappers (MON)

That would let you keep the same players, but then you have the problem of teams suddenly being in the wrong league. Rochester and Ottawa are in International League, while Edmonton is in Pacific Coast. I don't remember if it's possible to move a team from one league to another - so that could cause a problem.

Also, it kind of screws with the history of the renamed minor league franchise. You'd actually be looking at the history of your minor league "groups of players" and the cities they've played in as opposed to individual minor league franchises. For example, there won't be any way to see the history of the "Rochester RedWings" franchise as a whole between their different ML affiliates - only the history of your AAA group as they moved between Rochester and Ottawa.

It's not perfect, but it can be a workaround if there's no easy way to transfer all the players between two minor league teams changing their affiliation.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by spark240

I hadn't gone as far as changing affiliations yet, so I didn't realize this is what would happen. Obviously most people, who are trying to more or less follow the modern affiliation model, will see this as a bug or flaw.

However I should point out that this is actually the CORRECT approach if you're trying to mimic the earliest days of farm-team arrangements. In those days the minor league teams were more like today's independents than like today's affiliated minors. The minor teams were pretty much responsible for finding their own players, their primary interest was in being financially successful in their own towns and competitive in their own leagues (as opposed to developing players for the big club), they received little direct support from the major league organization, and their affiliation agreement simply meant that they would, from time to time, sell the contracts of certain players to that major league team, and not to any others.

In THIS scenario, if a minor club changed affiliations, they WOULD keep all their current players; it would mean only that, henceforth, their occasional sales would be to a different major club.

Back in the 30's some Major League teams, mainly the St. Louis Cardinals under Branch Rickey (architect of the farm system), bought minor league teams. It was cheaper in the long run. They didn't have to purchase individual players, since they already had them under contract. Many times in the early years, owners like Jack Dunn of the very successful Baltimore Orioles in the International League, would put a $100,000 price on his players and wouldn't let them go until he got it. This kept a lot of great players in the minors for a few extra years.

The Cards may have owned 15 or so clubs at one time 1930-1960.

[Exodor]

Originally Posted by Aaron Spew

As as example, the Twins used to have Portland as their AAA team, but recently moved their AAA team to Rochester, NY. The big reason (in my opinion) for getting out of Portland was that it was tough to drag your top pitching prospects through the hitter friendly PCL.

The Twins AAA club has been in Rochester since 2003. Prior to that it was in Edmonton, not Portland.

Portland, OR has been home of the Beavers since 2001, the AAA affiliate of the Padres. Prior to that we had the Rockies, a A affiliate of, well, the Rockies.

I don't know what teams have been playing in that other Portland.

[Aaron Spew]

Originally Posted by Exodor

The Twins AAA club has been in Rochester since 2003. Prior to that it was in Edmonton, not Portland.

Portland, OR has been home of the Beavers since 2001, the AAA affiliate of the Padres. Prior to that we had the Rockies, a A affiliate of, well, the Rockies.

I don't know what teams have been playing in that other Portland.

Not to bump a completely ancient thread, but i was going through old posts of mine, and just now noticed the reply.

Yeah the Twins AAA affiliate didn't go directly from Portland to Rochester, but Portland was the home of the Twins AAA affiliate for 7 years in the late 80s/early 90s, before moving to Salt Lake in 1994, and then to Edmonton in 2001.

My point still stand though that moving from the PCL (which the Twins AAA team has been in since 1987) to the International League, is a good thing for pitching prospects.

AS