Midwest League PDC news: The Beloit Snappers will remain an Oakland A’s affiliate for two more years, while the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed a new player development contract with the Kane County Cougars.
Both are two-year PDCs, through 2016. They also settle the last open affiliations at Low Class A in Minor League Baseball. The only two open affiliations are in High Class A, where the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers will decide between the Carolina Mudcats (Carolina League) and the High Desert Mavericks (California League).
In Kane County, the announcement of the Diamondbacks news comes a week after the team lost its affiliation with the Chicago Cubs.
“Today’s announcement is great news for Cougars fans, who will be very impressed by Arizona’s philosophies and their commitment to the Cougars organization,” said Cougars Vice President and General Manager Curtis Haug in a press statement. “We’d like to thank the Cubs organization for these past two seasons which culminated in a Midwest League Championship earlier this month. As we look towards our 25th anniversary season, we are thrilled to begin this great partnership with a first-class organization in the Arizona Diamondbacks.”
“We are extremely excited about our new relationship with the Arizona Diamondbacks,” said Cougars Owner Dr. Bob Froehlich. “Among many positives that we took from our recent meeting with members of Arizona’s front office staff were these: their player development philosophy, their commitment to be passionately involved in the community and the feeling that beginning today, both the Cougars and Diamondbacks organizations can work in harmony with each other as a true partnership.”
“We are thrilled and honored with our new partnership in Kane County,” said Arizona Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall. “It is important for us to align ourselves with affiliates who possess similar philosophies and values as us. The Kane County Cougars Baseball Club is an ideal fit, as they are committed to their fans, to winning, and most importantly, their community. This new home for us will provide our young players with a safe, welcoming, and enthusiastic setting.”
“We are extremely excited to enter into a new relationship with the Kane County Cougars. It didn’t take long for us to realize that our organizations share the same goals and principles. We work hard to put a winning team on the field with players of character, and we look forward to building a relationship with and earning the respect of the Kane County staff and community. We would like to thank Dr. Bob Froehlich and Curtis Haug for giving us the opportunity to show the great Kane County fan base what the Arizona Diamondbacks are about,” said Arizona Diamondbacks Director of Player Development Mike Bell.
In Beloit, it was a renewal of a relationship that began with the 2013 season.
“We are extremely happy about the A’s coming back to Beloit. We have had a great relationship with Oakland the last two years and are pleased to continue it,” said Dennis Conerton, president of the Beloit Snappers, in a press statement. “The Oakland A’s have a national presence and are well respected throughout baseball, which in turn expands the Beloit Snappers fan base.”
“We are pleased to continue our working relationship with Beloit,” said A’s Vice President and General Manager Billy Beane. “Dennis Conerton and his staff have done an outstanding job during the two seasons we have spent with the Snappers. It continues to be a mutually beneficial affiliation, and we look forward to growing this partnership in the years to come.”
The Snappers have been an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for the past two seasons. In 2013, the Snappers went 77-62 and were eliminated from the Western Division Finals of the Midwest League Playoffs by the eventual champions, the Quad Cities River Bandits. In 2014, the team went 55-84.
Here’s a look at the current affiliate status in Minor League Baseball.
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