BURLINGTON, N.C. — Let's get a couple things straight before we dive into the situation with the Burlington Royals. There are 42 teams on the list of potential cuts. The Greensboro Grasshoppers and Winston-Salem Dash are both safe. The High Point Rockers are part of an independent league, so they're safe. The Thomasville-High Point Hi-Toms and the Asheboro Copperheads are part of the Collegiate Baseball Summer League, so they're also in the clear.
What is the proposal?
An MLB consolidation proposal lists 42 teams that could lose their minor league affiliation. The proposal would leave towns without a team and thousands of players without a job.
It's part of a larger contract negotiation called the Professional Baseball Agreement. In short, the PBA is a deal struck between the MLB and the MiLB to determine things like how much to pay players and coaches, facility upkeep and much more.
The current PBA expires at the end of the 2020 season. That means no changes will take effect this upcoming season. The proposal to shrink to 120 teams applies to the 2021 season.
Now back to the Burlington Royals.
The triad team is on the list of 42. They're a rookie level team, part of a sub-league called the "Appalachian League". Under the MLB consolidation proposal, nearly every rookie level team, including all Appalachian League teams, would be cut.
One possible solution Major League Baseball pitched is creating a sub-league called the "Dream League". It would consist of several teams on the list, from all around the country. The problem is many of those teams can't afford the travel expenses to fly from town to town all season long.
Burlington Royals General Manager Mikie Morrison says joining the "Dream League" isn't feasible.
Morrison says if the Royals lose their minor league affiliation, Burlington would likely lose its team altogether.
"The MLB is willing to break the hearts of dozens of communities across the country," Morrison says, "We are going to resist this plan."
Can they join a different league?
We asked Morrison if the Royals could just join a different league, much like the High Point Rockers. He says this won't work either.
The Rockers are in an independent baseball league, specifically, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Independent league teams are responsible for all team expenses: the stadium, ticket sales, coach and player salaries, employee salaries, advertising and much more.
Minor league affiliated teams get major financial support from the Major League, and that's why the PBA exists in the first place.
All minor league teams are affiliated with a major league team. In the Burlington Royals case, it's the Kansas City Royals. So they're the ones paying the minor league player salaries, coach salaries, and more.
Burlington Royals General Manager Mikie Morrison says his team isn't in a position to take on all the team expenses without help from their MLB affiliate, so joining an independent league is also out.
Why cut teams in the first place?
The MLB says the consolidation would allow them to better invest in minor league team facilities. Another change in the PBA includes updated facility standards.
Royals GM Morrison says he hasn't received a concrete list of the new standards, but he's confident the city of Burlington would be more than happy to meet those standards. The city just finished $1.2 million dollars worth of upgrades to its stadium.
What do Burlington city leaders say about this?
North Carolina representatives Mark Walker, David Price and Ted Budd are all working to convince the MLB to remove Burlington from the list.
Burlington says the Royals brought in $987,972 to the city this season alone. They say the team invested $449,000 back into the community.
The city also says facility improvements aren't an issue. They say they'll strive to continually improve the stadium and provide a quality experience to fan and players.
Is there a larger national effort to combat the cuts?
Yes. Four congress members from around the U.S. officially formed the Save Minor League Baseball Task Force on Wednesday. Representatives Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, David McKinley of West Virginia, Max Rose of New York and Mike Simpson of Idaho are heading up the operation.
Their goal is to urge the MLB to keep the 42 teams. They sent a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred last month. You can read it below.
The Burlington Royals say they support the effort.
"We appreciate the members of the task force in standing up for Minor League Baseball and speaking out against the MLB's effort to cast off thousands of jobs," General Manager Mikie Morrison says, "We are gratified that so many in Congress are willing to join with us."
Other minor league teams say they stand with the Royals and the other 42 teams too. The Greensboro Grasshoppers, Winston-Salem Dash and Durham Bulls all put out statements Wednesday saying they want all the teams to stay in the league.
What does the MLB say about all this?
It's important to note the proposal comes very early in PBA negotiations. The deal doesn't expire until after the 2020 season.
The MLB says the 42 team list is not set in stone. They say the proposal is just a proposal; not a finality.
The MLB also says if they end up cutting any teams, they'd help those teams find a new league to join, but as the Burlington Royals shared with us, that may not be financially feasible.
What's next?
The MLB is set to meet in San Diego on Friday.
Burlington Royals GM Mikie Morrison says he and several other minor league general managers will meet Wednesday, December 11 for their Winter Meeting.
Morrison hopes to learn more about the proposal, the new facility standards and other details in the new PBA.
Stay with WFMY News 2 for the latest updates in this story, as details continue to develop.