I believe it was Scott Harris (former Giants GM and current Tigers PBO) who set up the agreement to make them our High-A affiliate under the minor league reorganization that occurred a few years ago. They were previously a Cubs affiliate (Harris' previous employer prior to joining the Giants).

Early season weather in Oregon as well as the batters' eye have caused issues for Giants prospects. If the team moves to Boise, ID, you'd still have the same issues with April and May weather.

6 comments

  1. I have a few issues with the way the article is written, but let’s just stick with the biggest:

    All of the Emeralds’ eggs are in one basket right now: Medford. The team has been working with Medford and they have a plan for a ballpark at Medford’s Hawthorne Park as part of a larger downtown redevelopment. There is a ballot issue to partially fund this plan on the upcoming ballot, Measure 15-238, with an increase in hotel taxes. This measure will neither completely fund, nor totally kill, the plan if it passes or fails, but it will be important. Right now, the Ems wait for that. I have heard of no plans talked about in other cities, the least of which being Boise, whose distance from other cities is why they were cut from the previous iteration of the NWL.

    Until the vote and its fallout happens, there’s not much else to speculate on, but if it passes, that makes the next home of the Emeralds almost certain to be Medford.

  2. This article is not that great. It’s more of a history of the Emeralds. No quotes from locals. No discussion of why they need to move, no background from different perspectives.

    OPB has done reporting on this for years. The whole thing stems from PK park which the emerald share with U of O not meeting MLB’s rules that require separate locker rooms and changing areas for umps. It’s pretty crazy to me that they need to build a whole new stadium (as well the fact that they just can’t use PK which is only 15 years old!) but it’s hard for these cities to justify a new $90m stadium, Medford or Eugene.

    https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/30/eugene-emeralds-mlb-pk-park-compliance/

    https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/11/eugene-emeralds-medford-stadium/

  5. How’s Fresno’s stadium looking? Wouldn’t mind them moving to central ca. No weather concerns there.

  6. Tucson needs a MiLB team. There are two baseball stadiums that probably meet the requirements, both have hosted spring training and minor league games in the past.

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