By: Stache Staff

Down On The Farm: August 19, 2012

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This week we’ll break from tradition once again and discuss a hot topic involving the Mets and the Minor Leagues…

Well we’ve all been hearing the rumblings and rumors throughout the course of the season but it is slowly becoming a reality that the Buffalo Bisons will no longer be the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets past the 2012 season.

A big misconception about the affiliation system is that teams (Major League and Triple-A) can agree on either two or four year contracts that can either be renewed or with the most likely in the case with the Mets and Bisons, will be rejected by at least one of the parties which in this case seems to be Buffalo. However, the contracts are all structured after even numbered seasons (2010, 2012 etc.) so there isn’t any overlap and team’s can change affiliates easier.

Teams can reject for a series of reasons, for example Buffalo feels the Mets don’t provide the fans and city of Buffalo with a solid product for their team. Let’s face it the Mets haven’t had their Triple-A affiliate reach the playoffs since the 2005 season which was their first year in New Orleans, and haven’t won an International League crown since back in 1985 with the now-known-as Norfolk Tides.

What seems to be the most likely scenario of what will eventually happen is that the Mets will end up with their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas Nevada with the Las Vegas 51’s which is in the final year of a four-year with the Toronto Blue Jays after nearly a decade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Toronto had a presence in upstate New York for 30 seasons when their Triple-A affiliate was with the Syracuse Chiefs until the Washington Nationals took that franchise over in what was a very big year for movement which tends to happen every 8-10 years or so.

After the 2008 season the Mets moved from New Orleans to Buffalo, the Indians moved from Buffalo to Columbus, the Nationals moved from Columbus to Syracuse, the Blue Jays moved from Syracuse to Las Vegas, the Dodgers moved from Las Vegas to Albuquerque, and the Marlins moved from Albuquerque to New Orleans in a domino effect of moves in 2008.

So as always here at the Daily Stache we have come up with what should be the most ideal site for every team based primarily on location and proximity to affiliates. This is by no means what will happen since not every team has expiring contracts, and most teams (that aren’t named the Mets) have solid relationships with their Triple-A clubs.

After the break, find out who the Mets Triple-A affiliate should be according to the Daily Stache.

It turns out that Syracuse makes the best sense for the Mets AAA team.

 

Major League Team 2012 AAA Team Stache ‘Should Be AAA’ Team
 New York Mets  Buffalo Bisons  Syracuse Chiefs
 Atlanta Braves  Gwinnett Braves  Gwinnett Braves
 Miami Marlins  New Orleans Zephyrs  New Orleans Zephyrs
 Philadelphia Phillies  Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs  Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs
 Washington Nationals  Syracuse Chiefs  Durham Bulls
 Chicago Cubs  Iowa Cubs  Indianapolis Indians
 Cincinnati Reds  Louisville Bats  Louisville Bats
 Houston Astros  Oklahoma City RedHawks  Round Rock Express
 Milwaukee Brewers  Nashville Sounds  Iowa Cubs
 Pittsburgh Pirates  Indianapolis Indians  Rochester Red Wings
 St. Louis Cardinals  Memphis Redbirds  Memphis Redbirds
 Arizona Diamondbacks  Reno Aces  Salt Lake Bees
 Colorado Rockies  Colorado Springs Sky Sox  Colorado Springs Sky Sox
 Los Angeles Dodgers  Albuquerque Isotopes  Reno Aces
 San Diego Padres  Tuscon Padres  Tuscon Padres
 San Francisco Giants  Fresno Grizzlies  Sacramento River Cats
 Baltimore Orioles  Norfolk Tides  Norfolk Tides
 Boston Red Sox  Pawtucket Red Sox  Pawtucket Red Sox
 New York Yankees  SWB Yankees  SWB Yankees
 Tampa Bay Rays  Durham Bulls  Charlotte Knights
 Toronto Blue Jays  Las Vegas 51s  Buffalo Bisons
 Chicago White Sox  Charlotte Knights  Nashville Sounds
 Cleveland Indians  Columbus Clippers  Columbus Clippers
 Detroit Tigers  Toledo Mud Hens  Toledo Mud Hens
 Kansas City Royals  Omaha Storm Chasers  Oklahoma City Redhawks
 Minnesota Twins  Rochester Red Wings  Omaha Storm Chasers
 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim  Salt Lake Bees  Las Vegas 51s
 Oakland Athletics  Sacramento River Cats  Fresno Grizzlies
 Seattle Mariners  Tacoma Rainiers  Tacoma Rainiers
 Texas Rangers  Round Rock Express  Albuquerque Isotopes

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