The Asheville Tourists (Low A; Sally League) and Colorado Rockies have announced an extension of their player development contract (PDC). The two-year extension runs through the 2020 season.
“We are thrilled and grateful to once again extend our longstanding partnership with the Asheville Tourists and we look forward to continuing to bring exciting baseball to this beautiful city while also positively impacting this wonderful community off the field,” said Zach Wilson, Senior Director of Player Development for the Colorado Rockies.
With the new agreement in place, Asheville will share its affiliation with the Rockies for the 26th and 27th consecutive years; the longest active affiliation between any South Atlantic League team and their Major League affiliate. The Tourists became a Colorado Rockies’ affiliate in 1994.
“Historically the relationship between the Tourists and the Rockies is one of the strongest between a Major League franchise and a Minor League organization,” said Brian DeWine, Tourists President. “The ultimate destination of players here in Asheville is Denver. We take pride in our role of helping develop these individuals as they work towards that goal.”
The Rockies currently have 18 players on their 40-man roster who have played for the Asheville Tourists.
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.