In the latest negative minor league baseball news, the longtime Single-A Yankees affiliate in Staten Island announced on Twitter last night that it has ceased operations and will sue both the Yankees and Major League Baseball.
The lawsuit stems from the fact that the Yankees announced last month on November 7th that the Staten Island Yankees were no longer part of the Yankees minor league affiliation structure, even though the Yankees had made repeated assurances we would always be a minor league partner.
Staten Island is under the impression the Yankees want it to become an “unaffiliated” team, which the minors club doesn’t believe would make for “a sustainable business entity.” As such, Staten Island is stopping operations, and the team has “filed a lawsuit against the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball to hold those entities accountable for false promises.”
This continues a brutal year for minor league baseball, which didn’t even have a 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is facing a “radical restructuring” that could eliminate a slew of teams. Staten Island, which has been a Yankees affiliate since 1999, appears as if it will fall victim to these unfortunate circumstances.
Source: MLB Trade Rumors