Good morning, Athletics Nation!
The minor leagues got a major realignment this winter. The whole system was pared down to 120 teams, with four affiliates for each MLB parent club. The Oakland A’s will still play Triple-A in Las Vegas and Double-A in Midland, while Stockton moves down to Low-A, and Lansing joins the organization in High-A. Beloit switches to the Marlins’ farm. Click here for more details on the new setup.
However, one former A’s affiliate was left out in the cold entirely. The Vermont Lake Monsters spent nine years as Oakland’s short-season Low-A club, as part of the NY-Penn League, where particularly young prospects and recent draft picks would often get their first brief taste of pro ball before moving up to a full-season league.