NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Oakland Athletics moved their Triple-A minor league affiliate to Nashville on Thursday.
The A's and the Pacific Coast League's Nashville Sounds announced Thursday they have agreed to terms on a four-year player development contract that runs through the 2018 season. The Sounds' new stadium, First Tennessee Park, is scheduled to open next season.
The A's had been partnered with the PCL's Sacramento River Cats since 2000, and the proximity between the two teams made it convenient when a player was promoted or sent down - or needed an injury rehab assignment.
''It's closer when you make a move on the road, not at home,'' A's manager Bob Melvin said Thursday before the A's hosted Texas. ''We'll tell our guys, `If you're going to get hurt, make sure you get hurt on the road.'''
Nashville had been the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A home since 2005. Organizations previously affiliated with Nashville included the Cincinnati Reds (1978-79 and 1987-92), New York Yankees (1980-84), Detroit Tigers (1985-86), Chicago White Sox (1993-97) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1998-2004).
