Major League Baseball recently announced the new Minor League Baseball affiliates for the 2021 season, with some shake-ups coming to South Carolina based teams.
As a result of these changes, each major league team will now have four different minor-league affiliates.
The two biggest changes coming to the state surround the Charleston Riverdogs and the Columbia Fireflies.
The Charleston Riverdogs, who were previously with the New York Yankees, will now join the Tampa Bay Rays. In addition, the Columbia Fireflies will be joining the Kansas City Royals after previously being affiliated with the New York Mets.
While the Myrtle Beach Pelicans will remain with the Chicago Cubs, they will be moving down from the Class A Advanced league to the low-A league.
One South Carolina team that was not affected by the shake-ups was the Greenville Drive, which will continue to be affiliated with the Boston Red Sox.
In a statement about the decision to keep the Greenville Drive with the Boston Red Sox, Craig Brown, Greenville Drive owner and president, said “We have had the privilege of being part of Major League Baseball’s most storied organization for close to two decades. We eagerly anticipate the return of baseball to Fluor Field this spring and welcoming the next group of Red Sox stars while we continue to build upon our unique partnership with the Boston Red Sox for years to come.”