Rockies extend invitations to 4 affiliates

DENVER -- The Rockies continued past relationships with affiliates by extending formal invitations to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A) and Hartford Yard Goats (Double-A), and invited two new farm clubs – the Spokane Indians (Class A Advanced) and Fresno Grizzlies (Class A).

The invites, under Major League Baseball’s new player development structure, became official Thursday, when MLB and the Fresno City Council agreed to terms.

“We are thrilled with the teams that we will call home for our Minor League Baseball program next season and well into the future. We have had great relationships in Albuquerque and Hartford, and look forward to our new partnerships in Spokane and Fresno,” Rockies owner/chairman and CEO Dick Monfort said in the team’s press release.

The Rockies have been with Albuquerque since 2015, the same year they began their Double-A affiliation with Hartford (then known as the New Britain Rock Cats).

Spokane, which has hosted MLB affiliates since 1947 and has existed as an organization since 1898, was most recently in the Class A Short Season Northwest League. Now all MLB-affiliated leagues will play full seasons.

Fresno had been in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League since debuting in 1998. The Grizzlies won a national Triple-A championship in 2015. Additionally, they won one conference championship and three division titles.