The Mets have reached an agreement to buy the Triple-A Int'l League Syracuse Chiefs and make them their "top minor league affiliate," according to sources cited in a front-page piece by Mark Weiner of the Syracuse POST-STANDARD. Under terms of the agreement, the Mets will acquire ownership of the Chiefs from the Community Baseball Club of Central New York, and the club will "continue to play its games at NBT Bank Stadium" starting in '19. The Mets would both "own and operate" the club. The deal would "end almost six decades of community ownership of the Syracuse Chiefs," dating back to '61, and "cut off the team's nine-year affiliation" with the Nationals. The offer was approved yesterday by the Community Baseball Club of Central New York Exec BOD, which "owns the majority shares of the team." The remaining public shareholders will be "asked to approve the deal" beginning today. It is not known "how much the Mets agreed to pay for the team." The Chiefs previously disclosed in '13 that the team has "about 4,000 shareholders who hold a combined 15,857 shares" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 10/10).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: In Newark, Abbey Mastracco writes it is a "significant move because it brings three of the Mets' top four minor league teams to the state of New York." The Double-A Eastern League Binghamton Rumble Ponies and Single-A New York-Penn League Brooklyn Cyclones are both in-state. The Mets also own the Single-A Florida State League St. Lucie Mets, which is "where the team's minor league operations are run." The Mets moved their Triple-A team from Buffalo to Las Vegas in '12 and the 51s' player development contract "runs through next season." However, the travel from Vegas has "proved problematic" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 10/10). On Long Island, Marc Carig writes ownership of the Syracuse Chiefs "should also make it easier for facility improvements in the future, another hindrance that arose with the Mets’ arrangement with Las Vegas" (NEWSDAY, 10/10). In Las Vegas, Betsy Helfand notes the Mets had "expressed interest in moving their top affiliate closer to home," but after the Triple-A Int'l League Rochester Red Wings and Twins "re-upped their contract last summer, they ultimately re-signed in Las Vegas," where they have been since '13. With many player development contracts expiring after next season, multiple teams "could shift affiliates." Besides the Nationals, the Brewers "could be a team looking for a new Triple-A affiliate" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/10).
