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Sugar Land Skeeters To Become Astros’ Triple-A Affiliate

By Connor Byrne | November 16, 2020 at 6:48pm CDT

The Sugar Land Skeeters will become the Astros’ new Triple-A affiliate, Mark Berman of Fox 26 reports. The two sides reached an agreement in which the Astros will have an ownership stake in the Skeeters, according to Berman. The length of the deal isn’t known yet.

This is a big step for the Skeeters, a Texas-based team that has been an independent club in the Atlantic League since its inception in 2010. They’ve had a number of familiar major league names on their roster since then, including Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and Scott Kazmir. With no minors campaign in 2020, the Skeeters launched the four-team Constellation Energy League, which they won with help from some ex-major leaguers you may recognize when looking at their roster.

The fact that the Astros have a new Triple-A team will leave the Round Rock Express with some uncertainty. Round Rock spent the previous two years as Houston’s top minor league club, though it only got one season of play (2019) because of the pandemic.

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Comments

  1. doug.daniel243

    5 months ago

    NO WAY I SAID SOMEONE SHOULD PICK THEM UP AS A JOKE THE OTHER DAY I DIDN’T THINK THIS WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN

    1 Like
    Reply
    • coolhandneil

      5 months ago

      COOL STORY!!!!!!!!

      4 Like
      Reply
    • Superstar Car Wash

      5 months ago

      It’s been rumored to happen for awhile now, mentioned earlier this year even. The same consideration is being given to the St. Paul Saints becoming a Minnesota Twins’ affiliate in 2021 (and beyond).

      5 Like
      Reply
      • Ducky Buckin Fent

        5 months ago

        Yeah, I’ve heard about that.
        That one kinda puzzles me. The Saints – by all accounts – turn a decent profit every year.
        I’m trying to figure out why this would appeal to them.

        Like
        Reply
        • GASoxFan

          5 months ago

          You would assume a MLB club taking an ownership stake brings 2 big things to the table:

          1) existing ownership gets cash for the share sold;

          2) expenses (including salaries) and updates subsidized by a source with generally/comparatively deep pockets;

          Remember, most business in general took a big hit from covid. You can be rich and not have a ton of liquidity to cover that sort of thing.

          1 Like
          Reply
        • Ducky Buckin Fent

          5 months ago

          Woops.
          I sorta forgot about the whole Covid thing.

          Yeah. I see what you’re saying here. In a normal environment I wonder if they’d still be interested. My guess is that they wouldn’t?
          But it’d be a sweet move for the Twins to have their AAA squad just over the bridge.

          1 Like
          Reply
    • For Love of the Game

      5 months ago

      I remember that, D.D. You’re psychotic (as the joke goes)!

      Like
      Reply
  2. cmulla

    5 months ago

    maybe Texas will move back there and get out of the carolina league

    1 Like
    Reply
    • SportsOnFilm25

      5 months ago

      The Carolina League is HIgh A. Currently there isn’t a HIgh A league in Texas. There is talk of Texas moving their AAA back to Round Rock (they are currently in Nashville, TN – which is a facility that is only 2-3 years old).

      2 Like
      Reply
    • Makaio6

      5 months ago

      Carolina League is Single-A. Their triple-A is in Nashville, so going back to Round Rock would be closer.

      Like
      Reply
  3. BKS1110

    5 months ago

    Woo. That feeling when your Major League team gets affiliated with the minor league team that’s a 12 minute drive from your house.

    5 Like
    Reply
    • Superstar Car Wash

      5 months ago

      Could you show your work in the margins? What time of day is this estimated drive scheduled? Which route do you take? How fast are you driving? Are you following all applicable laws and staying within the posted speed limits?

      5 Like
      Reply
      • agentx

        5 months ago

        All good questions that Rick Hahn probably wishes Reinsdorf had asked La Russa during his recent interview.

        11 Like
        Reply
        • giantsphan12

          5 months ago

          @agentx: THANK YOU. I truly laughed out loud when I read your post :-)
          I needed that laugh today. Thank you, again !!

          2 Like
          Reply
        • Painful itch

          5 months ago

          Great

          Like
          Reply
    • bucketbrew35

      5 months ago

      Love the avatar! Long live the blue bomber!

      1 Like
      Reply
  4. takeitback

    5 months ago

    Love this. Wish I still lived in Sugarland.

    Like
    Reply
  5. whitecheddar

    5 months ago

    Sugar Land Cheaters!

    10 Like
    Reply
    • kyleschwarbersmom

      5 months ago

      lol….Gotta learn somewhere

      4 Like
      Reply
    • dylan

      5 months ago

      You REALLY need to just go sit down.

      2 Like
      Reply
      • Ducky Buckin Fent

        5 months ago

        I dunno. It’s been a long time since I found an “Astros* are cheaters” joke funny.
        That one was, though.

        Like
        Reply
        • Tom E. Snyder

          5 months ago

          You have a low threshold for humor..

          2 Like
          Reply
        • Ducky Buckin Fent

          5 months ago

          That could certainly be true, sir.

          1 Like
          Reply
    • andthenisaid

      5 months ago

      Hahahaha that’s a good one!

      1 Like
      Reply
    • depressedtribefan

      5 months ago

      you can tell which ones are astros fans in here and which ones aren’t

      1 Like
      Reply
      • Prospectnvstr

        5 months ago

        Then again, some of us are just baseball fans who get tired of the same old whining, griping, complaining, holier than thou comments. If God can let go of the TRANSGRESSIONS that ALL of US make: who are WE (you & you & you AND especially ME) to CONTINUOUSLY judge and ridicule others?

        Like
        Reply
    • jeffmaz

      5 months ago

      Will they have bang a trashcan for nickel beer night?

      Like
      Reply
    • CastielStrife

      5 months ago

      Even as an Astros fan that made me chuckle. Not bad, not bad.

      Like
      Reply
  6. yankeejim

    5 months ago

    Distancing themselves from Nolan and Reid Ryan.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • George Greenleaf 2

      5 months ago

      They also own the CC Hooks so….. how’s that?

      Like
      Reply
  7. Michael Chaney

    5 months ago

    Don’t the Astros own the Round Rock Express, or something like that? I might be making that up, but if that’s the case then I can’t see them completely cutting ties with them.

    Like
    Reply
    • jjd002

      5 months ago

      The Ryan family does

      Like
      Reply
    • Rangers29

      5 months ago

      Yeah, the Ryan’s do. So them going from the Rangers affiliate to the Astros affiliate wasn’t that big of a deal for them. It was probably because JD had a scuffle with Nolan a few years ago, so they just flipped to Houston.

      Like
      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        5 months ago

        it was part of a bigger rotation that involved Oakland’s AAA affiliate as well

        Like
        Reply
  8. madmanTX

    5 months ago

    Look at all those steroid users. Ah, memories.

    Like
    Reply
  9. angt222

    5 months ago

    Big news for the Skeeters and Somerset Patriots (NJ) for being picked up by MLB teams.

    Like
    Reply
    • angt222

      5 months ago

      Patriots will be afiliares with Yanks

      Like
      Reply
      • rule-5-draft-dodger

        5 months ago

        AA Eastern League. Nice Park. Well run indy team, well it was an indy team. Trenton joins the Atlantic League.

        Like
        Reply
    • Marc_from_Brooklyn

      5 months ago

      And, a big cut in travel expenses for the rest of the Atlantic League.

      Like
      Reply
  10. Rangers29

    5 months ago

    Come back to the Rangers RRE!!! I live fairly close to Round Rock, so I’d love to see them partner back up with the Rangers!

    1 Like
    Reply
    • bogs79

      5 months ago

      Wouldn’t be surprised to see Round Rock be Rangers AA. Frisco is so close to Arlington and such a nice stadium they will be AAA imo.

      1 Like
      Reply
  11. DarkSide830

    5 months ago

    interesting its the two teams that hosted makeshift leagues (Somerset and Suger Land) that made the jump

    Like
    Reply
    • Makaio6

      5 months ago

      They (Sugar Land for certain) were rumored before the pandemic ever hit. So those make shift leagues really didn’t have an effect.

      Like
      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        5 months ago

        no, not saying they had an effect, rather the opposite. something about their ability to organize things was probably already known to the league when they considered these moves. something related to ownership creativity/effort. i dont know what, but there seems to be slme linkage in my mind.

        Like
        Reply
  12. tigerdoc616

    5 months ago

    And the MiLB game of musical chairs has begun.

    1 Like
    Reply
  13. DarkSide830

    5 months ago

    Round Rock becomes TEX’s affiliate and Nashville goes out on their own in an expansion bid?

    2 Like
    Reply
    • agentx

      5 months ago

      Interesting and definitely possible, DarkSide.

      Dombrowski & Co. could even emulate Sugarland’s recent strategy with a Constellation Energy-type independent league of their own while pursuing a MLB expansion team or existing franchise of their own.

      1 Like
      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        5 months ago

        which lines up with Nashville’s desires for a FA camp this year. i wouldnt be suprised to see any permutation that involves them doing something beyond affiliated ball next year.

        1 Like
        Reply
    • drtymike0509

      5 months ago

      I thought the same darkside great minds think alike, opens Nashville for Dave dom and company to go for the gold…

      1 Like
      Reply
  14. bobtillman

    5 months ago

    The Rays are going to locate ALL their farm teams in Tampa, and run 5 games a day beginning at 10AM (the lower classification games going seven innings, since many of the Florida located-teams play in the morning/early afternoon anyway), at the Trop. Admission for the whole day will be $15 Come anytime, leave any time, come back in if you like.

    The best solution is always the simplest.

    Like
    Reply
    • Kirk Nieuwenhuis For MVP

      5 months ago

      I’m surprised that an oddball owner like Bill Veeck never tried a stunt like that.

      Like
      Reply
    • mgomrjsurf

      5 months ago

      Orlando as one of Tampa Bay Farm Teams,

      Like
      Reply
    • drtymike0509

      5 months ago

      As a guy who was born in Boston and grew up with that fan base and learned to love the game in general. Then moved to Tampa as a teen and saw the rise of the tampa bay franchise. I think its a great idea for that area and would work as far as fan appeal and players. but it would also mean the owner cheap stu would have a much higher overhead, so thats a no go. Dude needs to go, I’ve never heard an owner complain as much as he has, pretty much from day one, as if he didn’t have a clue what he was buying and bought it anyway…

      Like
      Reply
    • smuzqwpdmx

      5 months ago

      Might be good for the Rays, but terrible for baseball trying to connect with more fans in more places.

      Like
      Reply
  15. Rob66

    5 months ago

    Ignorant question: What happens to the players already on Skeeters team.. Do they now belong to Houston or are they now free agents?

    Like
    Reply
    • DarkSide830

      5 months ago

      if it follows how id expect it to, technically the indy outfit and the Houston team are different teams, just with the same name/ownership group. i dont think most indy teams sign guys for multi year deals, but im assuming they are bought out.

      Like
      Reply
    • GASoxFan

      5 months ago

      Well, their contracts were owned by the skeeters, and not by the astros.

      Id presume there’s two parts to your question.

      1) if the affiliation and partial ownership stake addressed acquiring any of the players, the asyros would gain that extent of control.

      2) the skeeters would then have to release and payoff the balance of the unassumed contracted positions, much like they would any staff who was owned money since those were skeeters liabilities.

      Like
      Reply
    • jbc1972

      5 months ago

      What will probably happen is Trenton and a North Carolina team replace Somerset and Sugarland. Any player that had a contract with the teams leaving the Atlantic league should probably be part of the expansion draft. Almost all indy league contracts are for one year and players rarely resign in the indy leagues until after ST for MLB starts on the off chance they can get a ST offer. So I wouldnt expect either team has more than 2 or 3 players at most signed for next season . Probably none tho

      Like
      Reply
  16. Mrtwotone

    5 months ago

    Doug funny and lil johns favorite team

    1 Like
    Reply
  17. Kirk Nieuwenhuis For MVP

    5 months ago

    I see that former Mets prospect Gavin Cecchini played for the Skeeters last season. He’ll always be a fun Mets trivia answer for hitting his first (only?) major league homer off of Kershaw

    Like
    Reply
  18. TLB2001

    5 months ago

    Didn’t Tracy McGrady play for the Skeeters, too?

    1 Like
    Reply
    • TLB2001

      5 months ago

      Lol yup 4 starts for them in 2014, had a 6.75 ERA in 6 2/3 IP with a 10:0 BB:K ratio.

      Like
      Reply
  19. Col_chestbridge

    5 months ago

    Round Rock I would imagine goes back to being a Rangers affiliate. I would also not be surprised if San Antonio and/or El Paso and/or Wichita go to the Texas League, which would indirectly make room for the St Paul Saints.

    Like
    Reply
    • datrain021

      5 months ago

      I’ve seen rumors that SA and Wichita are headed for the Texas League again

      Like
      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        5 months ago

        would they move Wichita without having even played s year as the Marlins affiliate?

        Like
        Reply
  20. asuchrisc

    5 months ago

    well that stinks. We go to about 25% of the games each season in RR. The stadium is nice and draws decently so surely they’ll find some level of affiliate to put there.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • Phantomofdb

      5 months ago

      Yeah this off-season has been a disaster for established AAA towns. I’m concerned mine is gonna go too because they haven’t meaningfully updated their stadium since it was built

      Like
      Reply
      • jjd002

        5 months ago

        I doubt Round Rock will be empty. It’s in a major US city and not far from Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. It’s a great location.

        Like
        Reply
        • Marc_from_Brooklyn

          5 months ago

          What makes the least sense is San Antonio dropping down from AAA to AA. That metropolitan area could support a major league team, at least as well as Portland or Nashville. There are so many factors at play including facilities, ownership, proximity to the major league club as well as other teams in the league, and the likelihood that the team or city losing its team will initiate costly and/or time consuming litigation.

          Like
          Reply
        • jjd002

          5 months ago

          Ya I think San Antonio wouldn’t be a terrible location. But Houston and South Oklahoma might not be happy about it. I’m sure that’s the reason they haven’t. I mean Austin is about a hour away. I’d venture to guess that would be a couple of million people, just like the side of Houston and Dallas.

          Like
          Reply
        • kennonr

          5 months ago

          Did the SA Missions get demoted from AAA to AA? I know they used to be AA, and were now AAA. I haven’t seen news that their level changed this year.

          Like
          Reply
  21. Phantomofdb

    5 months ago

    This is at least the third independent team that has replaced an established minor league team. As someone who lives in a AAA town, I’m concerned

    Like
    Reply
    • themaven

      5 months ago

      You should be.
      The whole thrust of the MLB mandated minor league downsizing was the ML teams could have more “control”.
      You know like owning all their minor league teams and buying them on the cheap from independent league owners.
      Minor league teams are going to be changing hands rapidly over the next few seasons as the smart owners realize what is happening and bail.
      I’m not saying this is necessarily bad or good for the game,but it erodes the foundation of baseball in this country over the last eighty years.

      Like
      Reply
      • Phantomofdb

        5 months ago

        I think it’s a terrible move for the future of the game when, for example, you have the Twins (who don’t get a ton of fans out of Minnesota anyway) dumping Rochester as their AAA affiliate and are talking choosing the St Paul Saints as their new AAA affiliate. I don’t know how many upper New York fans they were getting anyway, but I’m sure *some*. And now their entire system is right in the twin cities. As someone who has lived in a AAA market my whole life, I fell in love with baseball from the ability to see baseball in a non-major league town…: and then watch those players on TV after they moved on. I’m in a major enough city that if we became unaffiliated, we’d probably still have an independent league team, but that’s just not the same. I knew they were already restricting the reach of the fan base by folding up teams, but if they’re also gonna move all the AAA teams to a 20 minute drive from the major league team… that is going to be a crucial blow to the future popularity of the sport

        Like
        Reply
  22. mattmooney33

    5 months ago

    Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro are going to make a come back

    Like
    Reply
  23. BrewfaninTX

    5 months ago

    Would like to see the Rangers to RR and Milwaukee to Nashville. San Antonio is going AA so Milwaukee will need a home.

    Like
    Reply
  24. Four4fore

    5 months ago

    Now that musical chairs has begun how long will the Nationals keep their AAA team in Fresno? Long way from home.

    Like
    Reply
    • Armaments216

      5 months ago

      Round Rock to Rangers, Nashville to White Sox, Charlotte to Nationals?

      Like
      Reply
  25. deathcoredad

    5 months ago

    So what happens to the rosters on the team? The skeeters have a roster and I’m the Astros have a triple a roster.

    Are the skeeter’ players just FA?

    Like
    Reply
  26. Unclenolanrules

    5 months ago

    When this team started up, it was assumed by some to be inevitable that this would happen with the Skeeters. My surprise dates back like 10 years, so I apologize for my lack of shock.

    Like
    Reply
  27. jorge78

    5 months ago

    I thought this was all about facilities? You are now telling me SLK has MLB class facilities?

    Like
    Reply
    • jbc1972

      5 months ago

      Sugarland doesnt have to have MLb quality facilities.. they have to have AAA quality facilities. And according to what I’ve read you’ve seen the 3 best indy league parks added to MiLB in Sugarland St Paul and Somerset. So this still fits the facility upgrades.

      Like
      Reply
      • Phantomofdb

        5 months ago

        Yeah I’m pretty sure this is nothing but cost control of keeping the AAA team close by. Twins are doing the same, trying to get St Paul independent league team as their AAA team. This is short sighted and terrible for baseball.

        Like
        Reply
      • NY_Yankee

        5 months ago

        It is not just about upgraded facilities. MLB teams located close to the three best Indy league facilities ( Yankees, (Somerset), Twins, ( St Paul), and Astros, (Sugar land)), picked them up. Why? Because of the cut of the number of farm teams ( and of course players), the patent clubs now want greater control, and thus their farm teams close to them. For example: The Yankees ditched Pulaski and Charleston ( along with Trenton and Staten Island), for Fishkill ( Hudson Valley NY) and Somerset, while keeping Scranton ( which is less then 100 miles from Yankee Stadium), and Tampa ( which is also their Spring Training home)

        Like
        Reply
  28. 92jays

    5 months ago

    Bang bang

    Like
    Reply

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