The Lexington Legends (Low A; Sally League) and the Kansas City Royals announced an extension of their player development contract (PDC) through the 2020 season.
“The extension with the Legends is something we are very happy to announce,” said Royals Vice President/Assistant General Manager – Player Personnel J.J. Picollo. “Lexington has been a great partner. It’s a great city for our players to spend a summer and their front office has been very instrumental in our return. We will continue to work together to make our players experience the best it can possibly be.”
The Legends have served as a Royals’ Single-A affiliate since 2013. Among Kansas City’s current 25-man roster, nine Royals have played in Lexington during their time in the minor leagues. Five former Legends (Eric Stout, Tim Hill, Ryan O’Hearn, Jake Newberry and Meibrys Viloria) have made their debut in this season alone.
“The Legends are ecstatic to continue our partnership with the Royals. It has been a fantastic six years working with great people in their front office and on the field. We are excited to see even more future Royals come through Lexington on their way to the Major Leagues,” said Legends President/CEO Andy Shea.
“We are excited to once again be partnered with the Lexington Legends. This partnership ensures a great environment for our players,” said Lexington Legends Manager Scott Thorman.
You can read more about the current state of affiliations on our Affiliate Dance page. We expect a number of player development contracts to be renewed in the coming week, 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 through this coming weekend. After that, teams can file to search new affiliation options, so there’s always a shuffle of sorts at the end of the season.