Nov
1
2012

Binghamton Mets Close To Being Sold/Moved

An article by Tim B.

The website ‘ballparkdigest.com’ is reporting today that the Binghamton Mets are close to being sold to Ryan-Sanders Baseball with the team subsequently being moved to Ottawa, Ontario.

The Ottawa Citizen reports it as a possibility, but we can report it as a certainty that Ryan-Sanders Baseball is negotiating to buy the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern League) and move the team to Ottawa Stadium in 2014.

The Ryan name of ‘Ryan-Sanders Baseball’ should be familiar to all Mets fans as it is none other than former New York Mets pitcher Nolan Ryan.

Ryan-Sanders Baseball, owned by the Nolan Ryan family (which includes sons Reid and Reese) and Don Sanders, owns the Round Rock Express (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the Corpus Christi Hooks (Class AA; Texas League). The firm has quietly been looking at expansion in the past few years both in the affiliated and summer-collegiate fields.

The move will apparently not take place until 2014, but the news breaking at this point essentially ensures the Binghamton Mets will be a lame duck team in 2013.

About the Author: Tim Burns

A Mets fan since birth, a Binghamton Mets fan since he watched them put the first shovel in the dirt in 1991 at Henry and Fayette Streets and every season since then, Tim is a vehement supporter - and at times defender - of Binghamton and his hometown team. From the days of Isringhausen, Pulsipher, and Wilson, to Reyes and Wright, all the way to present day den Dekker, Wheeler, and McHugh, he remembers when and is proud of all those that have graduated from the ballpark formerly known as Binghamton Municipal Stadium! Let's Go (B)Mets!

13 Comments + Add Comment

JetsMets13 November 1, 2012 at 10:57 am

Now we’ll have a AAA team in the hottest spot in north america and a AA team in the coldest spot in north america. lol
- K Maxx November 1, 2012 at 11:37 am
  
  That would be the Mets luck. Pretty sure the front office could have avoided the Vegas deal had he addressed it in 2010 when he took over instead of sitting on his hands. As far as they’re concerned it wont effect any of their two drafts who have still get past short season and arent even close to Double-A let alone Triple-A. I cant see them send Wheeler to Vegas for reasons that have more to do with not letting his numbers look bad as him being the only addition they’ve made. They cant afford to have Mets fans looking at Wheeler’s 4.75 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 2012. So they will demote him to Bingo or do what Minaya did and rush him.
Matt November 1, 2012 at 11:09 am

Awesome. I live an hour and a half from Ottawa. Bring it on. I’d rather watch AA in Ottawa than AAAA in Citi Field.
kevin November 1, 2012 at 11:23 am

If this happens does it mean that the city of Binghamton doesn’t have a baseball team anymore?
Tim B. November 1, 2012 at 11:30 am

If this happens the rumor mill has it that the current Batavia Muckdogs franchise will move to Binghamton, the city will drop down to SS-A, and will no longer be affiliated with the Mets.
Tim B. November 1, 2012 at 11:32 am

Also, one further thought – the prevailing rumor has Toronto and Ottawa signing an affiliation deal even before the Toronto/New Hampshire deal runs out. More than likely, unless there is a larger affiliation shuffle, the Mets AA prospects will be playing in Manchester, New Hampshire come 2014.
Met Maniac November 1, 2012 at 11:53 am

Hi Tim, I had written Joe and Pete twice about this with no reply, but can you possibly look at DenDekker as a legitimate prospect anymore? Would love to see you maybe analyze him in a post and compare him to Nieuwy and what their ceilings are. I think Dekker took a huge step backwards when he got promoted. Do you agree? Also do you think Wilmer Flores will make his debut in 2013? Thanks is advance and I always enjoy your posts on Binghamton.
Tim B. November 1, 2012 at 12:16 pm

Hey Met! Let me take a stab at your questions (although please know I’m far from an authority on it) when I can sit down and really look at it/them. Stuff is crazy with school right now (doing the middle age crisis need another degree thing), but I will try and fire something off in a few days/week at the most – cool?
- Met Maniac November 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm
  
  Tim!!!! Thank you. Dont sell yourself short, I have followed the Mets minors closely ever since the early seventies. From what I’ve seen of your work, your insights are on par with the best available and I have a world of respect for your opinions. You know what you’re talking about.
Matt November 1, 2012 at 3:56 pm

Sandy gets paid to be a figurehead, nothing more.
Metfan Lou November 1, 2012 at 6:56 pm

Wouldn’t it make sense to have the Brooklyn Cyclones as a Dbl AA affiliate. You can rehab guys across town and call ups would be just a taxi ride away and where the front office can get a better look at the players. Is this at all possible?
- Peter R. November 1, 2012 at 7:50 pm
  
  Stop making sense. lol
- Tim B. November 1, 2012 at 8:48 pm
  
  I couldn’t agree more Metfan – Double A in Brooklyn, and SS-A in Binghamton. That’s selfish on my part though (because it would keep Bingo affiliated with the Mets in some way) and….where would the Double A franchise come from to put in Brooklyn? (that’s the sticking point). No, I’ll stick with my original – Brooklyn stays Mets SS-A, Mets to Manchester with their Double A team, Ottawa and Toronto hook up.

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