Mariners invite 4 clubs to return as minor league affiliates; Rainiers reviewing deal
The Mariners have invited four full-season minor league affiliates to return for the 2021 season, the club announced Wednesday morning.
Triple-A Tacoma, Double-A Arkansas, High-A Everett (formerly the organization’s Short-A affiliate) and Low-A Modesto (formerly High-A) have each been invited to continue their relationship with the major league club.
“We are pleased to invite these four great communities to continue to work with us to develop the next generation of Mariners players,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a release.
“All four of these organizations and ownership groups have been outstanding partners to us,” Mariners director of player development Andy McKay said in the release. “We look forward to continuing to work with them going forward.”
The Mariners had seven minor league affiliates prior to Wednesday’s announcement, including Triple-A Tacoma, Double-A Arkansas, High-A Modesto, Low-A West Virginia, Short-A Everett, and rookie league clubs the Peoria Mariners and Dominican Republic Mariners.
West Virginia was one of 11 full-season minor league clubs across baseball that did not receive an invitation for the 2021 season. The Mariners will no longer have a Short-A team with Everett becoming a full-season club. The rookie league clubs in Arizona and the Dominican Republic are not expected to be impacted by Major League Baseball’s new player development structure.
Shortly after the announcement, the Rainiers, who have been Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate since 1995, wrote in a statement on Twitter that they have not yet accepted the invitation and are reviewing the offer.
“We have a great relationship with the Mariners, and look forward to continuing the relationship,” the statement said. “But, we just received, this morning, an outline of the proposed deal and structure of the new relationship with Major League Baseball, and cannot accept the invitation until we’ve had time to review the deal that will govern our sport, and this relationship, for decades to come.”
Everett has also been a Mariners affiliate since 1995 and will move into a full-season role after spending the past 26 years as their Short-A team.
“The Everett AquaSox would like to thank the Seattle Mariners for their invitation to continue our partnership,” AquaSox general manager Danny Tetzlaff said in a release. “The Mariners have been outstanding partners for over 25 years, and we look forward to many more years with them as a member of the Northwest League.”
Both Arkansas and Modesto have been Mariners affiliates since 2017.
“We are extremely pleased to continue to be the Double-A club for the Seattle Mariners” Travelers president Russ Meeks said in a release. “The Mariners have been an outstanding partner for us over the past four years. Their ownership, front office and baseball operations led by Jerry Dipoto and Andy McKay have provided us with first class people for our baseball club both on the field and in the community.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 10:29 AM.
