FRESNO, CA (KMJ) The Fresno Grizzlies are looking for its next Major League Baseball parent club. The Grizzlies and the Houston Astros officially ended their affiliation on Sunday after four seasons.
The PCL powerhouse Grizzlies had served as Houston’s Triple-A affiliate since 2015.
“Affiliation shifts are more the rule than the exception, it’s often inevitable. As MLB organizations evaluate their minor league operations over the length of any PDC, often their needs for Triple-A change,” said Fresno Grizzlies president Derek Franks stated in a news release.
“After a previous long-standing affiliation, it was truly a thrill to be welcomed into the ‘Astros family’ as Houston called it in 2015,” Franks continued. “We respect their decision, and understood when we first signed with them it was likely the relationship would last only four seasons. We are indebted to the Astros for the great quality of teams we’ve had the last four years. We look forward to similar success with our next MLB affiliate, and can’t wait to begin that new chapter of baseball in Fresno.”
The Grizzlies’ current run of four consecutive winning seasons is a franchise record, thanks to the Houston Astros. That period has included two division titles and postseason appearances (2015 and 2018), with Fresno’s first-ever PCL Championship and Triple-A National Championship in 2015. In 2018, the team advanced to the PCL Championship Series for the second time in franchise history. When the Astros captured the 2017 World Series title, it marked the fourth time in eight seasons a World Series winner enjoyed Fresno as its Triple-A affiliate.
“We appreciate the excellent partnership we have had with the Fresno Grizzlies for the past four seasons,” said Reid Ryan, President, Business Operations for the Astros.
