The Lansing Lugnuts (Low A; Midwest League) and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their player-development contract (PDC) through the 2020 season.
“We feel strongly about continuing our partnership with the Lansing Lugnuts,” said Blue Jays Director of Player Development Gil Kim. “The renovated Cooley Law School Stadium presents one of the top facilities and playing surfaces in Minor League Baseball. When our players arrive in Lansing, they are welcomed by the Lugnuts organization and the city of Lansing, and begin playing in front of a passionate fan base. These are all valuable development experiences as they continue to get better every day and progress to Toronto.”
“Our relationship with the Blue Jays has brought us over 900 wins, over 60 future Major Leaguers, three Midwest League Most Valuable Players and countless inspiring memories for our fans,” said Lugnuts President Nick Grueser. “We’re excited to continue our affiliation with Toronto and look forward to many more successful seasons ahead.”
The Blue Jays sent some pretty high-profile prospects through Lansing in recent years, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette.
You can read more about the current state of affiliations on our Affiliate Dance page. We expect a number of affiliations to be renewed in coming weeks, but there are always intriguing openings at every level of baseball. As you can see on the Affiliate Dance page, MLB and MiLB teams can renew their existing affiliations at any point. At the end of the 2018 season, teams can file to search new affiliation options, so there’s always a shuffle of sorts at the end of the year.