Montgomery Retained as an Affiliate for Two Additional Seasons

The Rays and the Montgomery Biscuits have apparently agreed to a two year extension of their Player Development Agreement, a move that will keep the Biscuits as the Double A affiliate of the Rays through the 2010 season.

Glad to see the extension of a relationship that has proven to be mutually beneficial. The Rays have supplied Montgomery with two championships in as many seasons, while the Rays get new facilities, a great fan base, and great support personnel to serve their top prospects.

Still remaining in limbo are pretty much every other minor league team, starting with the Durham Bulls. While the Bulls advanced to the championship game this past season, suffered two straight losing seasons prior to that amidst major turmoil in 2006 thanks to Delmon Young, B.J. Upton and, mainly, Elijah Dukes. You have to wonder if the team is interested in carrying on the relationship after that disaster.

I had long been an advocate of the theory that the Rays should sponsor the move of Jacksonville to the International League and take them as an affiliate to garner support on the First Coast and northwest Florida. They have a great stadium, great fans, a relatively decent-sized AAA market, and a long history. I thought Durham would maybe bolt and become a Braves affiliate due to their history with that organization and geography, but the Braves' agreement to move from Richmond to suburban Atlanta put the kibosh on that.

Elsewhere, Vero Beach is presumed to be heading to Port Charlotte in 2009 to open up the Rays' new stadium, a move that will be great for the organization. The consolidation and first class facilities will be beneficial. All that's up in the air is ownership. The Rays should consider opening up a GCL team at the training facility there, which I'm sure they have. The more consolidation, the more efficiency.

Columbus I assume is pretty much on a two year agreement to two year agreement type relationship with the team. Golden Park is a crappy facility and they're not a flagship franchise, but they're better than the MWL. Again, I've advocated placing a SAL franchise in Tallahassee and establishing the team's roots there, but there are numerous obstacles to that happening. Mainly, I would just like to see the team mark off North Florida as Rays territory with established bases of operation. Maybe even put a team in Pensacola; they have a minor league franchise.

Hudson Valley is not signed to an extension, to my recollection, but I can't see any reason for the Rays to terminate the relationship, or vice versa. The relationship has been beneficial to both sides, and while Dutchess Field is no longer the class of the NYPL, it is still a good facility. The fans are great, the support staff familiar faces. I would advocate staying.

Princeton is team-owned, so they serve at the pleasure of Stu Sternberg and Mitch Lukevics. The Appy League has been on the chopping block for seemingly a dozen years though, and the ax may fall at any time. As long as the Appy League exists, there is no reason to pull out of Princeton. Any additional competitive minor league environment is beneficial, IMO, development-wise. There is something to be said for playing before fans, albeit very few, and not chain link fences at some sterile complex. So while I don't think a GCL team should replace the Appy League, I do think it could work as a complement.