The Pittsburgh Pirates and the West Virginia Black Bears (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) extended their player-development contract (PDC) through the 2020 season.
“Our partnership with the Pirates has been outstanding both on and off the field,” said John Dandes, President of Rich Baseball. “Not only have they proven to be dedicated to providing our fans with a competitive and exciting team to cheer for, but have also shown great awareness to building relationships within the community around Monongalia County Ballpark. We look forward to continuing this great partnership for many years to come.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to extend our relationship and partnership with the Black Bears and the greater Morgantown area,” said Pirates Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway. “It’s such a great fit for us as an organization to be so close to Pittsburgh while also providing top rate facilities and operations. The fans are Pirate fans and it¹s a great way for them to get connected with the next wave ofBuccos at the ground floor. We look forward to this partnership continuing for years to come.”
The Black Bears have served as the Pirates’ short season-A affiliate in the New York-Penn League since its inaugural season in 2015. West Virginia has had great success in the club’s first three years, including winning the New York-Penn League championship in its inaugural season in 2015. The team finished this past year with a 40-35 record, capturing a third straight winning season since relocating to Morgantown.
“We are excited to continue our relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates for two more years,” said Black Bears General Manager Matthew Drayer. “They have provided the Black Bears with outstanding talent and high-character prospects that have given their time to the Morgantown community to make it a better place to live.”
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.