PDC extension news
If you thought that there wasn’t enough minor league news in the previous article, here is some more.
The San Francisco Giants and the Richmond Flying Squirrels have extended their Player Development Contract. With the contract extended through the 2020 season, the cooperation between the two clubs will be seventeen years old then. In 2003 both clubs signed their first PDC, with the Squirrels still located in Norwich, where they were called the Navigators. In 2006 the club rebranded into the Connecticut Defenders before they moved to Richmond after the 2009 season to replace the AAA franchise of the Braves that moved to Gwinnett after the city of Richmond was reluctant to improve the current stadium of the Flying Squirrels and to build a new facility in the city.
The Giants’ AA franchise has played an important role in the championships that the Giants won in the past five years as 34 former Flying Squirrels contributed for the Giants and many of them even played key roles in the Giants’ championships.
According to Giants’ Senior Vice President and General Manager Bobby Evans, the Flying Squirrels’ front office is a true partner to their business, player development ad staff needs. “Their consistent communication and professionalism is refreshing, and they maintain a faithful commitment to our staff and players. We look forward to the completion of plans for building a new stadium and are confident that the Flying Squirrels will continue to make Richmond and its fans proud”, Evans stated.
On their turn the brass of the Squirrels needed to say the usual positive words as well: “The Giants have been my only affiliate as an owner in minor league baseball,” DiBella said. “The class and dignity with which they go about their business makes them a pleasure to work with and we look forward to continuing our great relationship with San Francisco. The Giants requesting our first four year agreement speaks to their faith in the Flying Squirrel organization and their confidence that we will resolve the ballpark 
The future of the club in Richmond is still unsure as the city has made clear that the club better starts to look for a new home outside the city boundaries. The current location of the Diamond is a preferred location for a new children’s hospital.
But even if the team decides to move elsewhere, it won’t influence the cooperation between the Squirrels (or whatever they will be called by then) and their parent club.