Last Domino Falls In Affiliation Shuffle, Carolina Links With Brewers

After weeks of negotiations, all of high Class A is settled for the next two seasons at least. The Carolina Mudcats announced on Friday that they had chosen the Brewers as their affiliate for the next two seasons. This means the Rockies will stay in the California League, shifting over from Modesto to Lancaster. Modesto was purchased by the Mariners earlier this month when its former high Class A franchise, Bakersfield, was one of two that folded and moved to new locations in the Carolina League.

The Brewers’ high Class A affiliate was formerly Brevard County, which this season ended a 22-year run in the Florida State League when it left Space Coast Stadium and moved operations to Kissimmee, Fla., and Osceola County Stadium. The Braves quickly seized the opportunity and signed a four-year Player Development Contract with the Kissimmee club, which means it will now have its high Class A affiliate roughly 20 miles from its spring training home on the Walt Disney World campus in Orlando.

“The Brewers are excited to announce a partnership with Steve Bryant and the Carolina Mudcats,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said. “The organization is committed to developing young talent and we strongly believe that the Mudcats will help us achieve that goal. We look forward to working with our new partner in the Carolina League.”

This is the Mudcats’ third affiliate since its move from the Southern League in 2012. It was affiliated with the Indians until 2015, when it switched to the Braves in a scenario similar to what played out this year. After the 2014 affiliation shuffle, only High Desert and Carolina were left in high Class A. The Braves chose Carolina and had intended to stay for an extended period of time, but the availability of Kissimmee added an unexpected variable.

This season, it came down to Milwaukee and Colorado making their pitches to land in Carolina. In a release announcing the new partnership, Mudcats owner Steve Bryant cited Milwaukee’s strong system, which Baseball America ranked No. 9 in the sport entering the season, as a reason for selecting the Brewers over the Rockies.

“Having met with the Brewers, and in looking at their system, we are confident that we are getting an organization that is loaded with young, talented prospects that we feel will enhance our program” Bryant said. “We are very impressed with the Brewers in that they share with us a desire to develop young talent at the minor league level.”

Among the prospects expected to move to Carolina in 2017 after spending this past season in low Class A Wisconsin are outfielders Trent Clark, Monte Harrison and Corey Ray, two first-rounders and a second-rounder. Shortstop Isan Diaz, acquired from the Diamondbacks in the deal that sent Jean Segura to Arizona, could join that trio as well. So, too, could third baseman Lucas Erceg, whom our Vince Lara-Cinisomo chronicled recently.

The Rockies now shift from Modesto to Lancaster, which had been affiliated with the Astros since 2009. The Astros, of course, are filling the second new team in the Carolina League, which is still searching for a stadium for the next two seasons but eventually will play in Fayetteville, N.C.