RE: Contraction Exercise: MLB
I know it would suck from a competitive standpoint, but I would rather see MLB go the opposite direction to cover for their real objective - contracting the minors.
I'm thinking Nashville and Portland would be the most likely, although Charlotte and a few others may be viable as well. Keeping one of Charlotte or Nashville open will always ensure leverage for relocation.
Portland's new AAA affiliate would replace a city currently in the Short Season Class A Northwest League. The remainder of the NWL is folded.
Fresno is demoted from AAA to A, which allows a California League team to be folded, and for St. Paul to move in from independent ball to AAA.
Nashville's AAA franchise replaces the Birmingham Barons of the AA Southern League.
Sugar Land (Texas) also moves from independent to AAA. AAA then is reorganized into four leagues:
PCL - Tacoma, Portland affiliate, Sacramento, Reno, Las Vegas, Salt Lake, Albuquerque, El Paso
NEW - Sugar Land, Round Rock, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Omaha, Iowa, Saint Paul
IL - Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Worcester, Lehigh Valley, Scranton-WB, Toledo, Columbus
NEW - Louisville, Indianapolis, Norfolk, Charlotte, Durham, Gwinnett, Birmingham, Memphis
With Birmingham gone from the Southern League, another team is contracted to get the SL down to 8 teams. Chattanooga was reportedly on the chopping block early on in the process. Four teams are promoted from Class A or Short Season Class A to create a "second" Eastern League, so all four AA leagues have 8 feams.
Like the Northwest League, the balance of the New York-Penn League is eliminated.
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