Texas Rangers’ Triple A team headed back to Round Rock under new MLB restructuring
Major League Baseball continued its overhaul of the minor leagues Wednesday by finally revealing which affiliates will be with which teams in 2021 and beyond.
As expected, the Rangers’ Triple A team will again be in Round Rock, and the expectation is that all arrangements will last five seasons.
The Rangers and Round Rock Express have been reunited after a two-season hiatus in which Round Rock was affiliated with the Houston Astros. The Astros, though, purchased the independent Sugar Land Skeeters to be their Triple A club, and a Rangers-Round Rock reunion was set in motion.
Nashville was the Rangers’ affiliate in 2019 and for the canceled 2020 season in which no minor-league games were played.
The Express first became the Rangers’ Triple A affiliate in 2011 when Nolan Ryan was Rangers team president and CEO. His family owns and operates the Express, one of minor-league baseball’s top franchises.
“The Round Rock Express is excited about the opportunity to reunite with the Texas Rangers organization as their Triple-A affiliate,” Express president Chris Almendarez said in a statement. “We have an outstanding relationship with the Rangers ownership and front office after spending eight great seasons as the team’s top affiliate from 2011-2018.”
The Rangers sought to build a footprint in central Texas under the previous relationship with Round Rock, and see the reunion as another chance to do so. Also, when a player is needed from Triple A, he can simply drive from Round Rock to Globe Life Field rather than be held to flight schedules from Nashville.
The other three full-season affiliates remain the same — Frisco, Hickory (N.C.) and Down East (N.C.). However, Hickory will be the High A team while Down East becomes the Low A club. Frisco remains as the Double A affiliate.
The Rangers own Hickory and Down East. Frisco, which has been a Rangers affiliate since 2003, is owned by a group headed by Chuck Greenberg.
However, there is no certainty which leagues the affiliates will play in. MLB is expect to announce league structures early in 2021, and more player-friendly travel is expected to be component of the final layout.
The Rangers expect to have a rookie-level team in Arizona, though they are awaiting final word from MLB, and at least one team in the Dominican Summer League.
