MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have been the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays for 14 years and now they’ll remain a Toronto affiliate for at least two more.
Representatives from the Fisher Cats and Blue Jays announced on Monday that the two sides will be extending their Player Development Contract, or PDC, through the end of the 2020 season.
The Blue Jays have held a PDC with the Fisher Cats for their entire history in New Hampshire as well the final year of the Fisher Cats’ immediate antecedent: the New Haven Ravens.
“The Blue Jays are very pleased to be extending our working agreement with the Fisher Cats,” said Blue Jays Director of Player Development Gil Kim. “We are delighted to work with first class partners like [Fisher Cats owner] Art Solomon and [Fisher Cats President] Mike Ramshaw. Our players are fortunate to play in a quality ballpark in front of the passionate fans in Manchester.”
“We’re proud to continue our relationship with the Blue Jays,” said Ramshaw. “The players and coaches who have come through New Hampshire have given our fans so many lasting memories and made a positive impact in our community. It’s a pleasure to be a part of the Blue Jays organization, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off our 15th season.”
The Fisher Cats have sent over 100 players to the major leagues, including Blue Jays stars Kevin Pillar, Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, and are projected to welcome top prospects Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette to New Hampshire at some point during the 2018 season.
Within Minor League baseball, PDCs are agreements giving Major League baseball franchises direct oversight regarding the makeup of player rosters, coaching contracts, and other clubhouse staff.
Three other teams in the Eastern League (Altoona, Bowie and Erie) have PDCs expiring at the end of this season. The rest of New Hampshire’s fellow Eastern League teams are also signed with Major League partners through 2020, except for the Trenton Thunder, who have signed with the New York Yankees through 2022, and the Reading Fightin’ Phils, who are directly owned by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Elsewhere in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the Class A-Short Season Vancouver Canadians have signed a PDC through the 2022 season while the Class A Lansing Lugnuts and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons have PDCs that current expire at the end of the 2018 season. The Blue Jays directly own the Class A-Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays, who play in Toronto’s spring training facilities in Dunedin.
