Skeeters to become new AAA affiliate
Sugar Land replaces RoundRock as part of remaking of minors
The Astros reached an agreement Monday to make the Sugar Land Skeeters their new Class AAA affiliate, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Assuming the agreement is finalized, it will be the franchise’s third Class AAA affiliate in the past four years.
Formerly an independent club playing in the Atlantic League, the Skeeters play at 7,500-seat Constellation Field — just 22 miles from Minute Maid Park. The Skeeters are the second independent league team to move to affiliated ball this offseason, joining the Somerset Patriots, who are now the New York Yankees’ Class AA affiliate.
The franchise switch is a small part of a massive shakeup looming throughout minor league baseball. The Professional Base
ball Agreement between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball expired Sept. 30.
Without it in place, Major League Baseball is tailoring a takeover of the minor leagues that, according to multiple reports, involves eliminating some teams and abolishing the current player development contracts that bind teams together. Earlier this month, MLB appointed longtime executive Peter Woodfork as the senior vice president of minor league operations and development. The league is expected to release a list of 120minor league teams and their affiliations this month — downsizing by more than 40 clubs.
After parting with the Fresno Grizzlies as their Class AAA affiliate following the 2018 season, the Astros signed a fouryear player development contract with the Round Rock Express — a team founded by Ryan Sanders Baseball.
“We were a little blindsided by this tonight, but we had come to the conclusion that we probably were not going to be with the Astros next year,” Bret Sanders said. “(Astros owner Jim Crane) has said in the past that he wanted to control all levels of his organization, and with the MLB agreement expiring, I would not be surprised by this. Sugar Land is a nice ballpark, and if the Astros end up there, it will be great for their fans.”
The Astros will have an ownership stake in the Skeeters, a person familiar with the situation said. The team owns its Class AA affiliate in Corpus Christi and Class A Advanced team in Fayetteville, N.C.
Reid Ryan, formerly the Astros’ president of business operations, cofounded the Express with his brother, Reese. After the 2019 season, according to Reid Ryan, Crane told him he “didn’t feel like he needed a president anymore.”
Ryan was reassigned as an “Executive Advisor, Business Relations” while Crane installed his 36-year- old son, Jared, to the franchise’s executive team as a senior vice president, executive operations.
The shuffling all but ended Ryan’s full-time tenure with the Astros. He told the Chronicle last November that he planned to remain with the club through the 2020 season but acknowledged he’d “move on to something else” if Crane felt the team had made “a successful transition.” Ryan’s agreement with the Astros ended Oct. 31.
“My time with the Astros was incredible. I enjoyed every moment of it,” Ryan said Monday. “The Astros will remain very special tomy heart. I love the city and the fans and the organization, and it will always be a part of me.”