World news – US – Astros takes the AAA team to Sugar Land

Astros reached an agreement on Monday to make Sugar Land Skeeters their new AAA branch, a person familiar with the matter said. Assuming the agreement is completed, it will be the third AAA affiliate to the franchise in the past four years.

Skeeters, formerly an independent club that plays in the Atlantic League, plays in the 7,500-seat Constellation Stadium – only 22 miles from Minute Maid Park. Skeeters is the second independent team in the league to transfer to affiliate ball this season, and joins Somerset Patriots, now a part of the Class AA New York Yankees.. .

The key to the franchise is just a small part of the massive change that looms during Little League Baseball. The professional baseball agreement between Major League Baseball and Little League Baseball expired in September. 30.

Without its presence, Major League Baseball is customizing a takeover of smaller tournaments that, according to multiple reports, includes disqualifying some teams and canceling existing player development contracts that bind the teams together. Earlier this month, MLB appointed longtime CEO Peter Woodfork as Senior Vice President of Small League Operations and Development..

After splitting from Fresno Grizzlies as an AAA division following the 2018 season, Astros signed a four-year player development contract with Round Rock Express – a team founded by Ryan Sanders Baseball.

Brett Sanders said: « We were a little shocked tonight, but we came to the conclusion that we probably won’t be with Astros next year. ». “(Astros owner Jim Crane) has said in the past that he wants to control all levels of his organization, and with the MLB agreement expiring, I wouldn’t be surprised by this.. Sugar Land is a beautiful soccer field and if Astros did end up there, it would be great for their fans.

Red Ryan, former head of commercial operations for Astros, co-founded Express with his brother Reese. After the 2019 season, according to Reed Ryan, Crane told him he “didn’t feel he needed a president anymore.

Ryan is reappointed as « Executive Commercial Relationship Adviser » while Crane has appointed his 36-year-old son Jared to the Franchise Executive Team as Senior Vice President, Executive Operations..

The confusion ended Ryan’s full-time stint with the Astros. He told the Chronicle last November that he intended to stay with the club during the 2020 season but acknowledged that he would « move to something else » if Crane feels the team has made a « successful transition. ».

The Astros will have an ownership stake in Skeeters, according to a person familiar with the situation. The team currently has a Class AA branch at Corpus Christi and Class A Advanced Team in Fayetteville, N.A.. C.

Sugar Land Skeeters, Houston Astros, Constellation Field, Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Round Rock Express