Nationals Farm Authority

While I was on vacation, there were several stories that were released regarding the AAA affiliation status of four teams, the Nationals, Orioles, Yankees, and Mets.

First off, the reports are stating that the Yankees are going to cut their ties with Columbus, OH after a 28-year relationship. The thought is the Yankees are going to make the move to Scranton replacing the Phillies who have already agreed to relocate (along with the Ottawa franchise) to Allentown, PA.

With Columbus open, another report has the Mets decided to end their 37-year relationship with Norfolk to move to Columbus as a likely landing spot.

With Norfolk opening up and the Nationals affiliation with New Orleans expiring, it would seem the door is wide open for the Nationals to move their location not only closer but actually into a market I would imagine the Lerners and Stan Kasten would like to expand into, Southern Virginia. Kasten has been understandably tight-lipped about the process telling Nats.com beat writer Bill Ladson, “I just don’t know that yet; [we] haven’t completed that analysis. I hope to know one way or the other in the next two weeks.”

If the Nationals do move to Norfolk, that leaves New Orleans and Baltimore as the only team/city not paired up. The Virginian Pilot does offer one insight into Baltimore’s chances with Norfolk

The X factor could be Tides president Ken Young’s existing business dealings with the Orioles. Over the summer, Young formed an ownership group that purchased three Orioles farm teams, all in Maryland: the Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys and Delmarva Shorebirds.

None of this is a certainty by any means. All of the involved cities and teams are quiet while the courting process begins, but the pieces are in place for the Nationals to move their AAA team into their “backyard.”

In other affiliation-related news, the Toronto Blue Jays notified their Appalachian league affiliate Pulaski that they will not be returning in 2007. This presents the Nationals with another opportunity to expand their presence in Virginia by either relocating their Short Season Vermont or GCL team to Pulaski, or adding a seventh farm team by adding Pulaski. One issue with assuming Pulaski as an affiliate is much like the GCL affiliation, the parent organization owns the team rather than agreeing to a lease with an individual or city. This is another opportunity for the Nationals to demonstrate their desire to rebuild the farm from the ground up.

In both cases (AAA relocation and the availability of Pulaski), the Lerners and Stan Kasten have a golden opportunity to make concrete improvements to their organization.