College Baseball - Transfer Portal Tracker

There's a story today in the print version of the News Sentinel (I can't find it online). It's about Vandy baseball and how they have trouble getting transfers- guys have to meet their admission criteria and not all hours transfer from their old schools. The writer wasn't a KNS one, so perhaps the article also appeared in The Tennessean.

JUCO players are pretty much a non starter at Vandy, ND, Stanford, etc. ND has effectively used grad students to fill the gap.
 
Much longer overall story- MLB had been talking about doing it before Covid. A few members of Congress that were going to lose minor league baseball teams in the areas they represent started writing cautionary letters about baseball losing its anti trust exemption, then the covid got in the way and provided cover. 42 minor league teams gone, lots of people lost their jobs, less players getting drafted.
Minor league teams still not out of the woods...even the ones who survived.

We still have stadium upgrade requirements that have to be complied with within a specified amount of time. If requirements aren’t met, MLB can still act upon those teams.
 
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Minor league teams still not out of the woods...even the ones who survived.

We still have stadium upgrade requirements that have to be complied with within a specified amount of time. If requirements aren’t met, MLB can still act upon those teams.
In some cities there’s a finger pointing exercise going on over who is paying (the government/taxpayers or teams) for what can be millions in upgrades, or the team will lose its license from MLB. Close by, Asheville is doing that exercise. What is going on with the Rock Hounds, @MoreSteam ?
 
Minor league teams still not out of the woods...even the ones who survived.

We still have stadium upgrade requirements that have to be complied with within a specified amount of time. If requirements aren’t met, MLB can still act upon those teams.

Even if renovations are done/work completed/and large percentages of the costs paid for by the local governments (which are then directly passed on to the local communities) it still doesn't guarantee the MLB teams from pulling the rug out from under the minor league teams and communities!

Case in point - The Appalachian League located in and around the Tri-Cities TN/SW VA area had most all, recently built/renovated their parks at the request of the Big League Clubs.
 
In some cities there’s a finger pointing exercise going on over who is paying (the government/taxpayers or teams) for what can be millions in upgrades, or the team will lose its license from MLB. Close by, Asheville is doing that exercise. What is going on with the Rock Hounds, @MoreSteam ?
We’re very fortunate. The City of Midland is VERY interested in keeping the team in Midland forever. The city has already committed a lot of money to improvements which will bring the RockHounds up to and beyond the stadium/facility minimums set forth by MLB for MiLB clubs. This construction is set to begin THIS offseason.

That said, our stadium is already pretty good. Built in 2002, we don’t have a TON of issues. Our biggest areas of concern (the city already put in LED lights this past offseason) centers around size...size of things like the umpire room, kitchen area in both clubhouses, weight room, coaches and trainers rooms, etc. And, they’re putting in a female team staff locker room on both sides.

Again, we’re lucky the city is so invested in keeping the team for a long time.
 
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Even if renovations are done/work completed/and large percentages of the costs paid for by the local governments (which are then directly passed on to the local communities) it still doesn't guarantee the MLB teams from pulling the rug out from under the minor league teams and communities!

Case in point - The Appalachian League located in and around the Tri-Cities TN/SW VA area had most all, recently built/renovated their parks at the request of the Big League Clubs.
The interesting part of the new (as of the 2021 season) MLB structure for Minor League Baseball is that, starting in 2021, the 120 cities who were granted teams get to continue to have a minor league team for 10 years, through 2030, provided they achieve the facility standards set forth by MLB. After the 10 years expires, there are no further guarantees.

In my opinion, and I can't link an article because it's just my opinion (but I really think it's going to happen), MLB will decide they don't need 120 minor league teams any more. This means there would be another wave of team cuts. 30 more teams would go by the wayside. 30 more cities would lose their affiliated team.

I believe that MLB will decide, after 8 more seasons, that they only need one AAA team, one AA team, and one A team (not two Single-A teams, as it stands now).

The biggest problem with this, for cities and teams all across the country, is that for the next eight years, everyone has significant stadium upgrades to make, or risk losing their team before 2030 even gets here.
 
What a toting of water article by the Tennessean. I snicker at “transfers may find it hard to find plying time with all the talent on the roster” piece, while simultaneously saying they had their worst SEC record in 13 years.

Likely confusing Vandy's 5/6 #1 classes in a row with talent on the roster. The heavy hitters in each class signed out of HS and are killing it in the minors.

Edit: the hitting talent took a step back this year. The pitching talent definitely didn't develop as expected. This goes back to some of my other, older posts about Corbin building a machine and getting all the 8th-10th grade studs who light up combines instead of the projectable talents that are great baseball players.
 
I’m sure you know more about Vandy’s situation. I do recall watching their regional game. It was being mentioned that Vandy pretty much will replace every starter from this years team

Bradfield is the only surefire starter that will be back. Jones is probably gone in the draft. Keegan graduated. The rest of the team is up for grabs.

It will make it hard if their #1/2 class (depending on source) is again gutted by the draft. Only time will tell until the signing deadline.

I am also watching top ranked classes at Florida and LSU closely for draft attrition. The SEC next year will depend a lot on who signs and who doesn't. There are 11-15 legitimate, 1st round talents signed to Vandy, LSU, Florida.

Edit: MSU and Auburn are also going to be interesting. Several 1st round talents there too. MSU has a switch-pitcher who sits in the low 90s from both sides with 3 plus pitches on either side.
 
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Even if renovations are done/work completed/and large percentages of the costs paid for by the local governments (which are then directly passed on to the local communities) it still doesn't guarantee the MLB teams from pulling the rug out from under the minor league teams and communities!

Case in point - The Appalachian League located in and around the Tri-Cities TN/SW VA area had most all, recently built/renovated their parks at the request of the Big League Clubs.
Probably five or six years ago the city of Elizabethton had set aside over $1 million for renovation of a city owned building. Then it became apparent that they needed to upgrade the ballpark to keep the Twins there, so they shifted the money to Joe O’Brien Field. Then here comes minor league downsizing, so they lost the Twins affiliation which they had for probably 30 or more years. A crying shame.

Similarly, Wichita built a brand-new stadium for the move of the AAA New Orleans team. Then with the downsizing and realignment, instead they got a AA team. There’s probably a significant cost difference in building a new AAA park versus a new AA park.

There are plenty of other examples of cities and towns getting messed over by MLB. You don’t grow the game by eliminating teams.
 
We’re very fortunate. The City of Midland is VERY interested in keeping the team in Midland forever. The city has already committed a lot of money to improvements which will bring the RockHounds up to and beyond the stadium/facility minimums set forth by MLB for MiLB clubs. This construction is set to begin THIS offseason.

That said, our stadium is already pretty good. Built in 2002, we don’t have a TON of issues. Our biggest areas of concern (the city already put in LED lights this past offseason) centers around size...size of things like the umpire room, kitchen area in both clubhouses, weight room, coaches and trainers rooms, etc. And, they’re putting in a female team staff locker room on both sides.

Again, we’re lucky the city is so invested in keeping the team for a long time.
That’s great for Midland and baseball around Midland.
 
Probably five or six years ago the city of Elizabethton had set aside over $1 million for renovation of a city owned building. Then it became apparent that they needed to upgrade the ballpark to keep the Twins there, so they shifted the money to Joe O’Brien Field. Then here comes minor league downsizing, so they lost the Twins affiliation which they had for probably 30 or more years. A crying shame.

Similarly, Wichita built a brand-new stadium for the move of the AAA New Orleans team. Then with the downsizing and realignment, instead they got a AA team. There’s probably a significant cost difference in building a new AAA park versus a new AA park.

There are plenty of other examples of cities and towns getting messed over by MLB. You don’t grow the game by eliminating teams.
Yea, Wichita is in our league now (Double-A Texas League). Newest stadium in the league. A lot of money went into that ballpark.
 

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