Yankees Announce Relocation of Minor League Teams from Staten Island, Trenton

The New York Yankees have announced multiple changes to their farm system structure, including the relocation of the Double-A Trenton Thunder to Somerset, New Jersey.

The Yankees have also withdrawn affiliations with Staten Island (former home of the Single-A Short Season Yankees), Charleston, South Carolina (ex-home of the High Single-A Charleston RiverDogs) and Pulaski, Virginia (previous home of the Yankees' former Advanced Rookie League affiliate).

In conjunction with various partners, the Yankees are looking to ensure that a team from the independent Atlantic League calls Staten Island home in 2021.

New York will continue to operate short-season Gulf Coast League and Dominican Summer League teams in addition to the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

In addition, the Yankees' High Single-A team will be based out of Hudson Valley, New York. The Tampa Tarpons, who were the Yankees' High Single-A affiliate, will shift to a Low Single-A designation.

The moves are the result of the expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement between MLB and Minor League Baseball and the establishment of the Prospect Development Pipeline, which the Yankees described as "a collaborative effort between MLB and USA Baseball to establish an official identification and player development pathway for amateur baseball players in the United States."

As the Yankees noted, the number of affiliated minor league baseball teams has dropped from 160 to 120, and former short-season rosters are being "absorbed into the Prospect Development Pipeline."

Per the Yankees' statement, the move from Trenton to Somerset was the result of a decision "made strictly on the basis of what we believe to be the best facility to develop our young players."

The shift from Tampa to Hudson Valley was made on the basis of a "long-term and tremendous successful relationship" with Yankees minority owner Marvin Goldklang, whose Goldklang Group operated the RiverDogs.

As far as the big league club goes, the Yankees are scheduled to begin the 2021 season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1.