The Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League) and the Baltimore Orioles extended their player-development contract (PDC) for four years, through the end of the 2018 season.
“The Orioles brand has certainly been synonymous with baseball in Frederick going back to our inaugural year in 1989. We could not be more pleased than to extend this wonderful partnership for another four years,” said Keys General Manager Dave Ziedelis.
The four-year contract comes on the heels of a four-year deal signed in August 2010. During that time, the Keys have captured a Northern Division title and a Mills Cup in 2011. Currently, Frederick has the longest-tenured relationship with its parent affiliate in the Carolina League. Additionally, the Keys are the only CL team which has had just one affiliate in the history of the franchise.
Te Keys have led the Carolina League in attendance each of the last three years. Frederick has also has boasted the top attendance mark in all of Advanced-A during that time, eclipsing its counterparts in the Carolina, Florida State and California Leagues. Over the club’s 26-year history, more than 7.3 million fans have passed through the gates, including more than 1.25 million in the last four seasons.
We suspect this will be just the first of several announcements of the Orioles extending player development contracts in coming days.
Here’s a look at the current affiliate status in Minor League Baseball.
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