Tampa Bay Rays Welcome New Charleston Affiliate

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Tampa Bay Rays invited four communities on Wednesday to join them as affiliates under Major League Baseball’s new player development structure, which begins in 2021, a news release said.

The Charleston (South Carolina) RiverDogs were invited to become the Rays Low-A affiliate. Charleston served as Tampa Bay’s original Low-A affiliate from 1997 until 2004, and affiliated with the New York Yankees from 2005 until 2020. Among the many former Rays prospects who played for Charleston are James Shields, B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli. In addition, Rays coaches Matt Quatraro and Paul Hoover both played for Charleston, and Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo managed Charleston in 1999 and 2000.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to continue partnering with our friends in Durham, Montgomery and Bowling Green in developing the next wave of Rays players. They have been tremendous partners,” Rays Vice President, Player Development and International Scouting Carlos Rodriguez said. “Likewise, our relationship with Charleston many years ago was very fruitful. The RiverDogs staff and fans create an environment where young prospects can flourish and grow, and we are excited to invite them back in to the Rays family.”

The Durham (North Carolina) Bulls were invited to continue as the Rays Triple-A affiliate. Durham moved to the Triple-A level in 1998, when they became a Rays affiliate, and in 22 seasons since then advanced to the postseason 16 times and captured six International League titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018).

The Montgomery (Alabama) Biscuits were invited to continue as the Rays Double-A affiliate. A Rays affiliate since 2004, the Biscuits have won two Southern League championships (2006, 2007) and reached the postseason in five consecutive seasons from 2015-19. In 2019, they went 88-50, setting a franchise record for wins.

The Bowling Green (Kentucky)Hot Rods were invited to continue as a Rays affiliate, advancing from Low-A to the High-A classification. The Hot Rods became a Rays affiliate in 2009, and have reached the postseason in four consecutive seasons (2016-19). In 2018, they won the Midwest League championship and were named Baseball America Minor League Team of the Year.