In a move that surprises no one, the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the Kansas City Royals extended their player development contract through the 2020 season.
This extends the longest active Triple-A affiliation in Minor League Baseball: neither franchise has had another Triple-A affiliation, and both began play in 1969.
“We are proud to continue the affiliation between the Storm Chasers and Royals,” said Storm Chasers President and General Manager Martie Cordaro. “We have enjoyed the longest and one of the strongest relationships in all of Triple-A Baseball. We look forward to growing our relationship with the Royals even more in the upcoming seasons.”
We are very proud of our longstanding relationship with Omaha and excited about the extension of our Player Development Contract,” said Kansas City Royals Vice President, Assistant General Manager of Player Development J.J. Picollo. “Omaha has a long history with the Royals, one we take great pride in. The ownership group and front office have been outstanding to work with and our players get the opportunity be part of a great baseball community on their way to Kansas City. We are looking forward to the coming years at Werner Park.”
Dating back to 1969, the Omaha franchise has posted a 3,532-3,499 record, adding 16 Division titles, seven League Championships, as well as three Triple-A Championships, including Back-To-Back Triple-A Championships during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns.
The Omaha-Kansas City affiliation is one of the longest enduring partnerships in Minor League Baseball, including the longest active affiliation at the Triple-A level, and third longest active overall behind the Reading Fightin’ Phils and Lakeland Flying Tigers, who have been aligned with the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers, respectively, since 1967. Entering the 2018 campaign, 897 ballplayers have gone on to play Major League Baseball after wearing an Omaha uniform, including more than 150 with the Royals since 2011.
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.