Toronto, ON – The Toronto Blue Jays and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League have entered into a two-year player development contract that begins next year and runs through the 2014 season.
With the deal, Buffalo becomes the third Triple-A affiliate Toronto has had in its existence. From 1978-2008, the Blue Jays had a working agreement with the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League before playing the last four seasons with the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific League.
"From a baseball point of view, this is a great fit for our organization," said Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "With only 160 km (99 miles) separating the two fields, we will have greater flexibility to make roster decisions and an increased opportunity to watch our most developed prospects. We look forward to providing the Bisons with an exciting and talented roster."
Essentially, the Blue Jays and New York Mets swapped minor-league organizations. From 2009-2012, the Bisons were the Triple-A affiliate of the Mets, who Monday announced their own new two-year partnership deal with Las Vegas.
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