Rays invite four teams to become affiliates under new MLB structure
December 10, 2020 - Major League Baseball has revamped its player development structure. Under the new system, 30 MLB franchises will extend invitations to four farm teams each, the Washington Post reported. The Tampa Bay Rays have invited the Durham (North Carolina) Bulls, the Montgomery (Alabama) Biscuits, the Bowling Green (Kentucky) Hot Rods and The Charleston (South Carolina) RiverDogs to join the Rays as affiliates under the new MLB system, a news release said. The Bulls, Biscuits and Hot Rods have been Rays' affiliates. The RiverDogs previously were Rays' affiliates but most recently were affiliated with the New York Yankees. The new MLB player development system begins in 2021.