Once their current agreement expires after the 2018 season, the Texas Rangers and Round Rock Express (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will reportedly end their affiliation.
The Express have been a member of the Pacific Coast League since 2005, and their relationship with the Rangers dates back to the 2011 season. The current player development contract (PDC) between the two clubs expires after the 2018 season, and it appears that they are not heading toward a renewal.
According to reports, the Express could ultimately strike an agreement with the Houston Astros while the Rangers work to secure a new PDC with another Class AAA club. More from The Star-Telegram:
The Rangers expect to be formally told of Round Rock’s intentions next month at the winter meetings, and they are hopeful they will be able to find a new affiliate relatively close to Arlington.
Houston would vacate Fresno, Calif., and the Rangers want to avoid being that far away from their Triple A club.
It should be noted that any affiliations shifts will be negotiated after the 2018 season. In addition, there figures to be a very limited number of Class AAA clubs available between the Pacific Coast League and the International League.
One match possible for the Rangers could be San Antonio, as the current Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are set to relocate there for the 2019 season. That move will come as part of a series of franchise shifts by the Elmore Sports Group, as the organization plans to move the current San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) to a new ballpark in Amarillo, while the Sky Sox relocate to San Antonio and have their place in Colorado Springs taken by the current Helena Brewers (Rookie; Pioneer League).
The Sky Sox are currently affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. The PDC between those two teams expires after the 2018 season, as does the Rangers’ agreement with the Express and the Astros’ affiliation with the Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League). You can keep track of all of the latest affiliation news on our Affiliate Dance page.
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