Ballpark Digest posted an article that provides a list of minor league teams that could be eliminated under Major League Baseball’s proposal to contract Minor League Baseball to 120 teams. There is also talk about the potential political ramifications if this were to occur because many communities aren’t happy about potentially losing an affiliated minor league team from their stadium that was built with some public funding.
So according to this Minor League Baseball would look something like this:
International League (AAA)
Buffalo Bisons
Charlotte Knights
Columbus Clippers
Durham Bulls
Gwinnett Stripers
Indianapolis Indians
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Louisville Bats
Norfolk Tides
Worcester (as Pawtucket is moving in 2020)
Rochester Red Wings
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Syracuse Mets
Toledo Mud Hens
Pacific Coast League (AAA)
Albuquerque Isotopes
El Paso Chihuahuas
Fresno Grizzlies – replaced by St. Paul
Iowa Cubs
Las Vegas Aviators
Memphis Redbirds
Nashville Sounds
Oklahoma City Dodgers
Omaha Storm Chasers
Reno Aces
Round Rock Express
Sacramento River Cats
Salt Lake Bees
San Antonio Missions
Tacoma Rainiers
Wichita Wind Surge (2019 New Orleans Baby Cakes)
Eastern League (AA)
Akron RubberDucks
Altoona Curve
Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Bowie Baysox
Erie SeaWolves
Harrisburg Senators
Hartford Yard Goats
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Portland Sea Dogs
Reading Fightin Phils
Richmond Flying Squirrels
Trenton Thunder
Brooklyn Cyclones
Southern League (AA)
Biloxi Shuckers
Birmingham Barons
Chattanooga Lookouts
Jackson Generals
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Mississippi Braves
Montgomery Biscuits
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Rocket City Trash Pandas (2019 Mobile BayBears)
Tennessee Smokies
Texas League (AA)
Amarillo Sod Poodles
Arkansas Travelers
Corpus Christi Hooks
Frisco RoughRiders
Midland RockHounds
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Springfield Cardinals
Tulsa Drillers
California League (A – Advanced)
Lake Elsinore Storm
Lancaster JetHawks – replaced by Fresno Grizzlies
Modesto Nuts
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers
San Jose Giants
Stockton Ports
Visalia Rawhide
Carolina League (A – Advanced)
Carolina Mudcats
Down East Wood Ducks
Fayetteville Woodpeckers
Frederick Keys
Fredericksburg Nationals (2019 Potomac Nationals)
Lynchburg Hillcats
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Salem Red Sox
Wilmington Blue Rocks
Winston-Salem Dash
Florida State League (A – Advanced)
Bradenton Marauders
Charlotte Stone Crabs
Clearwater Threshers
Daytona Tortugas
Dunedin Blue Jays
TBD (2019 Florida Fire Frogs)
Fort Myers Miracle
Jupiter Hammerheads
Lakeland Flying Tigers
Palm Beach Cardinals
St. Lucie Mets
Tampa Tarpons
Midwest League (A)
Beloit Snappers
Bowling Green Hot Rods – Move to another league
Burlington Bees
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Clinton Lumber Kings
Dayton Dragons
Fort Wayne TinCaps
Great Lakes Loons
Kane County Cougars
Lake County Captains
Lansing Lugnuts
Peoria Chiefs
Quad Cities River Bandits
South Bend Cubs
West Michigan Whitecaps
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
South Atlantic League (A)
Asheville Tourists
Augusta GreenJackets
Charleston Riverdogs
Columbia Fireflies
Delmarva Shorebirds
Greensboro Grasshoppers
Greenville Drive
Hagerstown Suns
Hickory Crawdads
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
Lakewood BlueClaws
Lexington Legends
Rome Braves
West Virginia Power
NY-Penn League (A – Short Season)
Aberdeen IronBirds – Move to Class A
Auburn Doubledays
Batavia Muckdogs
Brooklyn Cyclones – Move to Eastern League (AA)
Connecticut Tigers
Hudson Valley Renegades – Move to Class A
Lowell Spinners
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
State College Spikes
Staten Island Yankees
Tri-City ValleyCats – Move to Class A
Vermont Lake Monsters
West Virginia Black Bears – Move to Class A
Williamsport Crosscutters
Northwest League (A – Short Season) Now full season league
Boise Hawks
Eugene Emeralds
Everett AquaSox
Hillsboro Hops
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Spokane Indians
Tri-City Dust Devils
Vancouver Canadians
Appalachian League (Rookie – Short Season)
Bluefield Blue Jays
Bristol Pirates
Burlington Royals
Danville Braves
Elizabethton Twins
Greeneville Reds
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Princeton Rays
Pulaski Yankees – Move to Class A
Pioneer League (Rookie – Short Season)
Billings Mustangs
Grand Junction Rockies
Great Falls Voyagers
Idaho Falls Chukars
Missoula PaddleHeads
Ogden Raptors
Orem Owlz
Rocky Mountain Vibes
And somewhere the Sugar Land team gets added in here.
So you can see that there is some additional shuffling that goes on here, but these are the details so far.