The San Diego Padres will return three affiliates as well as the San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) in the round of invitations sent out today by the team.
The Missions join the El Paso Chihuahuas (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low A; Midwest League) and Lake Elsinore Storm (High A; California League). Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore will swap spots on the affiliation order once their leagues switch levels.
The Chihuahuas have served as the triple-A affiliate of the Padres since 2014, including their Pacific Coast League Championship season in 2016. The Missions previously served as the Padres double-A affiliate for 12 years (2007-18) before becoming the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2019 season. The Padres have been affiliated with Fort Wayne since 1999, making it the longest-running affiliation in club history at 22 years. Located approximately 75 miles from Petco Park, the Lake Elsinore Storm have geographically been the closest affiliate of the Padres since 2001, serving as their High-A club for 20 consecutive years. Lake Elsinore has also served as a rehab facility for the major league club during that period.
“We’re eager and excited to continue our long-standing relationships with El Paso, San Antonio, Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore,” said Padres Executive Vice President & General Manager A.J. Preller. “They have been valued partners of the Padres throughout our player development system for many years, and each of their respective communities have supported their teams and welcomed our players and staff with open arms. We look forward to bringing Padres baseball back to these communities again in 2021.”
Here’s the most up-to-date information about the current affiliation status.
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