Wednesday was the deadline for minor league teams to sign their contract agreements in response to their affiliate invitations in the form of a Professional Development License (PDL). That acceptance is more of a formality than anything, as the alternative to signing is to simply forfeit the option of fielding a team.
Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reported back in November that the Triple-A Iowa Cubs would be coming back to the organization, thus maintaining one of the longest-standing relationships in professional baseball. The High-A South Bend Cubs formally announced their return earlier this week and Friday brought confirmation that the Double-A Tennessee Smokies and Low-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans have officially signed agreements to the terms of the decade-long PDLs.