CLEVELAND (AP) -The Cleveland Indians have agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Columbus Clippers, who will be the club’s top minor league affiliate.
The agreement with Columbus runs through 2012, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been finalized.
An announcement could come as early as Friday.
The deal was first reported on The Columbus Dispatch’s Web site.
The Clippers, who were the New York Yankees’ Triple-A team from 1979-2006 and Washington’s the past two years, are opening a new $55 million downtown ballpark next season. Huntington Park is located in the city’s Arena District, just down the street from where the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets play.
Columbus played its last game at 76-year-old Cooper Stadium last month.
Cleveland recently broke ties with the Buffalo Bisons, who served as the Indians’ top minor league team since 1995. The New York Mets are reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Buffalo.
Cleveland’s move to Columbus has been expected for months. With a team in the state capital, the Indians will now have four minor league teams in Ohio. They already have affiliates in Akron (Double-A), Lake County (Class A) and Mahoning Valley (Class A).
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