HOUSTON -- While the Astros finalize plans to move their Class A Advanced affiliate to Fayetteville, N.C., beginning in 2019, the team announced Thursday that Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., will serve as the temporary home for their new Carolina League team in '17-18.
Astros president Reid Ryan, senior vice president of business operations Marcel Braithwaite and Greeneville Astros general manager David Lane will join Carolina League president John Hopkins, Fayetteville councilmember Jim Arp, Campbell University president J. Bradley Creed and athletic director Bob Roller at an 11 a.m. CT Friday press conference to provide further details.
The Buies Creek Astros will open the 2017 season at home against the Salem Red Sox on April 6. Houston's Class A Advanced affiliate has been located in Lancaster, Calif., since '09.
In October, the Astros closed a transaction to buy a Minor League franchise in Fayetteville of the Carolina League, which is expanding to 10 teams. The Rangers announced in September they had purchased controlling interest in the Kinston club and would begin play there next.
The Astros are trying to streamline their Minor League franchises to control movement of players more efficiently. They already own the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks and the Rookie League Greeneville Astros. In August, the Astros extended their player development contract with Triple-A Fresno through the 2018 season, after which the club is expected to return its Triple-A operation to Round Rock, whose agreement with the Rangers expires after the '18 season.