There has been a major affiliation shift at the Low-A level, as the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low A; Sally League) have announced a player development contract (PDC) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The two-year agreement runs through the 2020 season.
“We are proud to partner with an organization that has a long history of outstanding achievements,” said Grasshoppers President and General Manager Donald Moore. “We look forward to working with Larry Broadway and his entire staff for the next two seasons. Our players will represent Pittsburgh and Greensboro very well on and off the field.”
An affiliation changed was expected for the Grasshoppers, who were a farm team of the Miami Marlins from 2003-2018. That relationship has ended, however, which was learned when the Marlins announced a two-year PDC with the Clinton LumberKings (Low A; Midwest League) on Thursday.
“We are extremely excited to begin a new relationship with the Greensboro Grasshoppers franchise,” said Larry Broadway, Pirates Senior Director of Minor League Operations. “It is a first-class operation that plays in a first-class facility in front of a first-class fan base. We are looking forward to the player development opportunities that this new partnership will present. We are also looking forward to becoming entrenched in the greater Greensboro community by, among many other connections, bringing our Pirates Community Commitment Program in to ensure that help our players impact the community in a positive way.”
For the Pirates, this agreement marks the end of their arrangement at the Low-A level with the West Virginia Power (Sally League). The two teams were affiliated from 2009-2018.
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, we’re now at the point where MLB and MiLB teams can search for new affiliation options, so there’s always a shuffle of sorts at the end of the season.