FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – It will continue to be business as usual for the Houston Astros and the Fresno Grizzlies – at least for another two years. The MLB club and minor league AAA affiliate re-upped for another two seasons on Saturday. That means Growlifornia will house future Astros through at least 2018.
“(The Grizzlies’ management) is incredibly supportive,” said Houston Astros’ General Manager Jeff Luhnow at a Chukchansi Park press conference announcing the decision to re-sign. “(Chukchansi Park) is good. Whenever we have any sort of question or complaint (Grizzlies’ management) addresses it right away. They make life comfortable for the players. Our guys have been prepared. There’s not a lot of distractions. The players are able to focus on baseball and getting their work in and preparing for the big leagues.”
Luhnow said the Astros didn’t look too hard at finding a new AAA companion this offseason. The Astros and Grizzlies have developed a level of trust that the MLB team wouldn’t have with a brand new affiliate.
Now, whatever happens after 2018 is anyone’s guess. After the 2018 baseball season several MLB player development deals will expire, most notably – the Texas Ranger’s AAA affiliation with the Round Rock Express. Reid Ryan, the President of Business Operations with the Houston Astros, founded the Express. He left his post as CEO with Round Rock to join the Astros in 2013, but is still on the Express’ Board of Directors. Ryan also founded the Astros’ current AA ball club, the Corpus Christi Hooks.
While minor league affiliation goes above General Manager, Luhnow reiterates he is pleased with the partnership between the Astros and Grizzlies.
“A lot can happen in the next two years,” said Luhnow. “I would be happy if the team were here indefinitely. I’m sure we’re going to have to do our due diligence if other opportunities open up but we’re happy [in Fresno.]”
In the last two years, the Grizzlies have played host to the two players picked No. 1 overall in the MLB draft – shortstop Carlos Correa and pitcher Mark Appel – and another who was picked second overall –infielder Alex Bregman.
Appel spent the most time in Fresno (two months’ shy of the entire 2015 season), and was traded this last offseason to the Philadelphia Phillies. Correa and Bregman – the Astros top two prospects over the last two years – were fast-tracked through AAA and joined the Astros within weeks.
Twelve players on the Astros’ current 25-man active roster have spent time in Fresno. Luhnow credited manager Tony DeFranceso and the coaching staff for developing their young stars.
“I think they execute the fundamentals,” said Luhnow of DeFrancesco’s staff. “This year not everybody has gotten off to a quick start, but they’re able to contribute even when they’re struggling offensively because they know how to hit the cut-off man. They know where to stand during the infield positioning. The pitchers have been tremendous all year really, in terms of throwing strikes. They’re prepared. They’re prepared to come help us and that’s really the No. 1 aspect that we look for.”
Even though Central California seems far from East Texas, Luhnow has been happy with Fresno’s proximity to other ball clubs in the AL West. “Being so far away from Houston we weren’t sure how it was going to work out,” said Luhnow. “But in fact, it’s worked out very well because we have three of our division foes here [out West] so our team is out here a lot. And the travel has been very manageable. Our team has gotten used to that 6am flight out of FAT (a.k.a. Fresno Yosemite International Airport) and they’ve been able to get to wherever we are.”
Two years removed from the San Francisco Giants pulling their long-time affiliation with the Fresno AAA ball club, the Grizzlies say they’re content with the Astros partnership. After all, they won a ring their first year with Astros players as the team made the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season in 1998.
“It’s been awesome,” said Grizzlies’ GM Derek Franks of the partnership with the Astros after the press conference. “To start out with a National Championship – from day one when we signed with [the Astros] we were talking about the talent, the players, the system, a progressive front office that’s doing things out on the forefront of player development that other teams were still trying to catch up and do. We knew there was going to be talent but to immediately see that translate into a AAA National Championship is unbelievable.”
The Grizzlies are still in play to make the playoffs again this season. However, they’ll have to catch Tacoma, who after Sunday’s game held a four game lead in the Pacific Northern Division with 22 games remaining.
