According to a press release by the Syracuse Chiefs, the New York Mets offer for the franchise is $18 million or about $1,400 per shareholder.
The purchase is dependent upon approval by two-thirds of the team’s shareholders with a meeting scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 17 at NBT Bank Stadium.
Syracuse will be the Mets Triple-A Affiliate starting in 2019 and the stadium lease NBT Bank Stadium runs through the 2025 season.
Original Post – Oct. 10
There will be no more cross country flights for players shifting between Queens and Las Vegas.
According to Mark Weiner, the Washington correspondent for Syracuse.com, the Mets have reached an agreement to purchase the Syracuse Chiefs and make them their top minor league affiliate, sources familiar with the deal said.
New York will acquire the team from the Community Baseball Club of Central New York Inc., and will continue having games at NBT Bank Stadium starting in 2019.
The deal was officially announced Tuesday. According to Mike Puma, the deal will be effective as of the 2019 season, but there is an “outside chance” it could be as soon as 2018.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the deal will run through 2025 at least.
“With Syracuse’s rich history and love of baseball, the Mets purchasing the Syracuse Chiefs is a grand slam for the entire community,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
Schumer had tried to get Fred and Jeff Wilpon to move the Triple-A team to Syracuse in 2009 before they ultimately chose Buffalo.
The current deal with Washington and Syracuse expires after 2018, while the Mets agreement with the Las Vegas 51s also ends after next season. The Chiefs have been the Washington Nationals Triple-A affiliate since 2009. Prior to that, they partnered with the Toronto Blue Jays for 31 years.
Cashman Field, where the Mets Triple-A affiliate has held its games since 2013, is one of the worst at that level and is the third oldest in the league. It was also ranked the worst ballpark in the Pacific Coast League by Baseball America.
According to Weiner, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mets Chief Operating Office Jeff Wilpon and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney plan to announce the agreement Tuesday at NBT Bank Stadium.
