Major League Baseball announced this week 119 of the 120 teams that have been formally invited to remain as minor league affiliates, chopping over 40 franchises in a move that’s been anticipated for over a year. News of MLB’s hopes to shrink the minors first emerged during negotiations last offseason for a new Professional Baseball Agreement, and after the deal governing the minors was allowed to expire this fall, Wednesday’s announcement was inevitable. Most of the clubs who lost their affiliation expect to continue operations in some manner, many still in conjunction with MLB. Others are accepting that without MLB’s support, they’ll be forced to fold.
