NewsBucs to swap Class A affiliate with Reds
Move with Cincy would set up relocation to Bradenton, Fla.By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
10/29/09 1:01 PM ET
The Pirates are close to completing a swap with the Reds, though this trade doesn't involve any players. Rather, the Pirates and Reds will be trading high Class A affiliates. In a statement released Thursday, the Pirates acknowledged that they are close to completing the purchase of the Reds' Florida State League team in Sarasota, Fla., with an intent on moving the team to nearby Bradenton, where it would play its home games in the Bucs' Spring Training ballpark, McKechnie Field. The Reds, meanwhile, will take over the Pirates' soon-to-be-former affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats. "We are extremely excited about the prospect of bringing a high-A club to Bradenton," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a release. "If completed, the move will allow us to take even greater advantage of McKechnie Field and our new Pirate City facilities. In addition to the benefits to our Minor League players and our development staff, the move of our high-A team to Bradenton would allow us to have rehabbing Major League players begin their return to work in Bradenton, where we have our rehab coordinator and rehab facilities." Coonelly said the move was suggested by general manager Neal Huntington and director of player development Kyle Stark to take advantage of the facilities in Bradenton and the presence of the Bucs' player development staff. The purchase of the Sarasota club should be completed when the Florida State League holds its meetings in two weeks, Coonelly said. Obviously, no players would be involved in the acquisition of the FSL team. The Reds' prospects would move on to Lynchburg, Va., while the Pirates' prospects would play in Bradenton. The Pirates have operated an affiliate in Lynchburg since 1995. "While the benefits to the Pirates and our partner, the city of Bradenton, were compelling," Coonelly said, "we will be sad to leave the Lynchburg Hillcats, with whom we have had a tremendously productive relationship for the last 15 years."Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
