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Sarasota Reds to Bradenton

The Pittsburgh Pirates will buy the Sarasota Reds and move them to Bradenton; the Reds will take over the Bucs' affiliation in Lynchburg.

The Sarasota Reds (High Class A; Florida State League) are no more, as the team is being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will move the franchise to McKechnie Field for the 2010 season and play as the Bradenton Pirates.

The move is subject to approval from the Florida State League.

As part of the shift the Reds will take over the Pirates' High Class A affiliation with the Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League). That affiliation runs through the 2010 season and will need to be renegotiated next year.

The move, we suspect, will put a damper on the Orioles setting up a FSL team in Ed Smith Stadium, at least for the time being.

UPDATE: We were supplied some bad information by folks in the Pirates organization. The team will not be called the Pirates; a new name will be announced at a Nov. 11 press conference.

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