Here is the latest information about the expiring Player Development Contracts (PDCs) and how it might impact the Nationals. Starting off in Triple-A where the Nationals PDC with the Columbus Clippers expires at the end of the 2008 season …
- The Durham Bulls and Tampa Rays extended their PDC through 2010
- Cleveland has put off any decision on extending their PDC with Buffalo until after the 2008 season
- Pittsburgh extended their PDC with Indianapolis through 2012
- There are continued rumors of the New York Mets moving to Syracuse
Teams are not able to discuss PDCs until after the existing ones have expired (officially, at least). With the two agreed upon extensions listed above, the following twelve PDCs are due to expire:
2008 International League (IL) Expiring PDCs
- Buffalo Bisons - Indians
- Columbus Clippers - Nationals
- Lehigh Valley IronPigs - Phillies
- Rochester Red Wings - Twins
- Syracuse Chiefs - Blue Jays
2008 Pacific Coast League (PCL) PDCs
- Albuquerque Isotopes - Marlins
- Las Vegas 51s - Dodgers
- Memphis Redbirds - Cardinals
- New Orleans Zephyrs - Mets
- Omaha Royals - Royals
- Portland Beavers - Padres
- Tacoma Rainiers - Mariners
Richmond is likely out of play for 2008 since an existing affiliate would need to move from where they are and none of the IL teams listed above are likely to move (and moving a PCL team is a non-starter).
Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia are in their first year in the area in a new stadium and an extension is almost a foregone conclusion.
The relationships between Omaha/Kansas City, Tacoma/Seattle, and Rochester/Minnesota are reportedly strong.
Interestingly, one of the linked articles above (the Cleveland link) mentions that the Memphis affiliate “reportedly turned down an extension with the Cardinals prior to this season because of a dissatisfaction with the level of talent being sent their way.”
It seems pretty safe in assuming the Dodgers and Padres are going to try and hold onto their PDCs from a proximity standpoint.
Cleaning up that list above with these assumptions leaves
2008 International League Expiring PDCs
- Buffalo Bisons - Indians
- Columbus Clippers - Nationals
- Syracuse Chiefs - Blue Jays
2008 Pacific Coast League PDCs
- Albuquerque Isotopes - Marlins
- Memphis Redbirds - Cardinals
- New Orleans Zephyrs - Mets
Six teams. Six affiliates. Two leagues.
It appears that once the music stops, Cleveland will be in Columbus; Syracuse will re-up with Toronto or grab the Mets; Buffalo will choose between the Mets, Blue Jays, or Nationals (listed in order of my guess on order of preference).
That leaves the Marlins, Cardinals, and Nationals to pair up with Albuquerque, Memphis, and New Orleans. None of those three is the optimum from Washington’s perspective (though the ballpark in Memphis is amazing).
I’ll keep providing updates as they become available.
Pilchard | 16-Apr-08 at 11:26 am | Permalink
Good analysis. If that is the lot that the Nats are left with, I would rank those 3 options as follows:
Ric | 16-Apr-08 at 11:52 am | Permalink
I have to imagine St. Louis and Memphis will work it out, and Washington and Florida will be stuck with New Orleans and Albuquerque. If Florida is looking to move, I wonder if New Orleans would prefer them given that the Nationals jumped ship in 2006. The best solution would be to move NO to Richmond, but can’t see that happening politically.
dave | 16-Apr-08 at 12:15 pm | Permalink
NO can’t move to Richmond because the NO owners aren’t looking to move their team at all and are happy in NO
Sec 515 | 16-Apr-08 at 4:10 pm | Permalink
I wonder why Nats Management signed up with Columbus just two years ago if they knew this was going to happen. Shouldn’t they have been looking for a long term AAA affiliate?
Tom | 16-Apr-08 at 5:19 pm | Permalink
There was not long term affilatation available in 2007 unless they wanted to stay in New Orleans. And with New Orleans being a PCL team which it makes it very tough to get players back to Washington quickly that is not an optimal location for an East coast team. So they took their second choice, Columbus, when the Orioles somehow used their “territorial rights” to claim Norfolk.
This type of team merry go round happens every year with the minor league affiliates and MLB. The only thing MLB guarantees is the affiliates will have a major league team to supply the affiliate with players. Some years it is more exciting than others. The real question is what league will the Atlanta AAA team play in. I guess it will remain in the International, but the Georgia location is way out of the way for the other IL teams. I assume the other league members are not happy about this move.
Brian Oliver | 16-Apr-08 at 5:28 pm | Permalink
Sec 515 - Tom pretty much nailed it. I’m sure the Nationals would have wanted a longer term agreement but if Columbus didn’t want it, not much to do there
eric | 16-Apr-08 at 11:49 pm | Permalink
STL has good connections to New Orleans so that might be a good fit. Of all the (both?) choices available Memphis looks best to the Nats, but that would leave FLA in Albquerque, which is a very bad option.
In a fair world FLA would get NO, STL would take NM and the Nats would take Memphis.
It’s not a fair world so we’ll probabaly get Albquerque…
Louis J. | 17-Apr-08 at 5:50 pm | Permalink
Since we’re dreaming..the best case PLC combinations would be: Nats buying NO and moving them to Richmond (with a new stadium deal) in IL and convincing either Memphis or Nashville to also move to the IL giving the IL 16 teams and the PCL 14 teams. Currently, the PCL has 16 teams and IL has 14 teams. Travel costs for Memphis/Nashville would be cheaper if they were in the IL vs PCL.