Some ?s about the minor leagues

[SJ24]

Hey, all! I'm a lifelong Braves fan, but these are questions I still don't know, myself. So I figured someone here might know:

Why do some organizations not have a team in certain classifications? For example, the Braves don't have an affiliate in the class-A short season leagues (NY Penn League or Northwest League)

Furthermore, why do the Yankees have two GCL teams and two DSL teams, while the Braves only have one apiece?

According to MiLB.com, the Yankees have 10 teams in the minors and the Braves have 7. That is a major structural disadvantage, IMO.

Also, last but not least, why did the Braves leave Carolina and start a new team called the Florida Fire Frogs?

Thanks for any insight!

[mqt]

I'm pretty sure the answer to every single question is $$$.

[smootness]

The Fire Frogs are not a new team, it is just a relocation/renaming of the Brevard County Manatees. Teams change unowned affiliates relatively often; in A+, we've been affiliated with Carolina, Lynchburg, Myrtle Beach, and Durham all in the last 20 years.

[50PoundHead]

Every team has one Low-A, one High-A, one AA, and one AAA team. Where the expansion of teams is happening (and not just with the Yankees) is due to teams signing more and more Latin players and fielding multiple teams in the Dominican Summer League. To give these players increased development time to prove themselves, a small number of teams are fielding more than one team in some of the rookie leagues. Several teams have three rookie league entries or add a Short-Season A team. I think the primary reason, as I alluded to above, is the fact that some of these teams are signing a lot of under-the-radar Latin American players and giving them an extra year or two of development time.

For the record, the Braves had several A-level teams for a few seasons (one in the SAL, one in the Midwest League, and one in the Carolina League) and did have a short-season A entry for quite awhile (first in Idaho Falls, then in Jamestown). It obviously costs money to either own these franchises or work out player development agreements with a team, so my guess is the front office has done their cost/benefit analysis and have landed on this number of teams as optimal. One has to remember that in the "complex leagues," (the DSL, GCL, and AZL) games are only part of the equation. Official playing time is spread around, but there is a lot of instruction taking place outside of the games.

[rico43]

Pertaining to the last one, the Fire Frogs are playing in the Astros' old spring training site stadium in Kissimmee, which is at the other end of that gawdawful strip of stores and restaurants that connects with the Disney gate.
If you've ever made the drive to Carolina, you would instantly understand why it is so nice to be close to your spring home -- or anything civilized.

[clvclv]

Pertaining to the last one, the Fire Frogs are playing in the Astros' old spring training site stadium in Kissimmee, which is at the other end of that gawdawful strip of stores and restaurants that connects with the Disney gate.
If you've ever made the drive to Carolina, you would instantly understand why it is so nice to be close to your spring home -- or anything civilized.

Hey now! Them people living out there in the boonies of Zebulon are some of the good folks that elected Trump!!! Don't turn around in somebody's driveway unless you've got your bible and shotgun with ya!!!