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The Milwaukee Brewers’ minor league system is expanding. The team announced that it is adding a second rookie-level Arizona League team in 2019. The Crew will now have nine and a half minor league affiliates.
The Brewers will field a second team in the Arizona League this summer. @LaneGrindle talked to GM David Stearns and has the latest: https://t.co/FYjZYmWAMr pic.twitter.com/kghVsBzzfm
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) December 18, 2018
Lane Grindle spoke with GM David Stearns about the expansion. In the article, Stearns says that the recent income of youth has made it necessary to expand the system. That youth is coming from a wealth of high school players draft in the MLB First Year Player Draft and International Free Agency.
Random lunch thing... the #Brewers have 292 players currently under contract in the organization, and 8.5 major/minor league teams (one DSL team is shared w/Cleveland). That gives the Brewers the 5th-highest # of players per team in baseball. pic.twitter.com/6wLaF5IQr3
— Toby H (@YouKnowAndThat) December 17, 2018
The two Arizona League teams will share the Maryvale complex. The facility was recently given a complete overhaul to modernize, expand, and upgrade the grounds where Milwaukee plays their Spring Training games and where the now two short-season teams will reside. Stearns says that this will provide plenty of room for the developing players.
In the last two MLB drafts, Milwaukee has added 19 high school players and signed 24 (very possible I missed one or two here) International Free agents. The international players have been divided between the Brewers’ Dominican Summer League team and the team they share with the Cleveland Indians. The Crew also announced that they will be sharing a DSL team again during the 2019 season.