Report: Houston Astros buying Sugar Land Skeeters, will become AAA affiliate

BEXAR COUNTY (KTSA News) — The Houston Astros are reportedly buying the Sugar Land Skeeters organization of the independent Atlantic League to make them the team’s AAA affiliate in 2021.

KTRK-TV reports the deal had been in the works for some time.

The Skeeters would replace the Round Rock Express, which is owned in part by Nolan Ryan, as the team’s AAA affiliate.  It is not clear what this deal means for the Round Rock Express.

Major League Baseball is restructuring its relationship with Minor League Baseball, trimming the number of affiliated minor league teams to 120 and eliminating 42 teams from affiliated play.  With that, Major League Baseball teams have been restructuring their affiliation system to determine which markets and teams they will continue to have their farm systems in.

As things currently stand, the Skeeters would play the San Antonio Missions, who are currently affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, in the Pacific Coast League and no longer play against the I-35 rival Express.