Round Rock Express Triple-A Team Could Relocate To San Antonio

ROUND ROCK, TX -- The Round Rock Express Triple-A club could be relocating to San Antonio if city officials there have their way, according to a published report.

A San Antonio group is working to bring the Texas Rangers' top minor-league affiliate to play in a proposed new downtown ballpark, the San Antonio Express-News reported on Wednesday.

The Rangers' Triple-A club of the Pacific Coast League have long called Round Rock home. Ryan-Sanders Baseball owns the franchise, established by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

The Rangers' player-development agreement with Ryan-Sanders Baseball runs through the 2018 season. But once the current agreement expires, the Rangers could be looking for a new Triple-A home, the newspaper reports.

The San Antonio Missions, owned by the Elmore Group, currently are in the Double-A Texas League in that city. If the Express move to San Antonio, that franchise would likely move elsewhere within the state -- probably Amarillo, according to the newspaper -- to clear the way for a Triple-A club.

The San Antonio Missions are a longtime, popular draw for families in San Antonio. In addition to watching big-leaguers-in-the-making, families enjoy dispatching their kids to the field during breaks between innings to watch them tackle the Missions' mascot, the Puffy Taco, as he attempts a mock-run toward base.

It's a delightful spectacle.

The Elmore group also owns the flagging Colorado Springs franchise in the PCL -- a club that had the fourth-lowest per-game attendance among all Triple-A teams last season at 4,619, the newspaper noted.

The newspaper also reported that representatives of the Elmore Group are expected to appear before the San Antonio City Council next week to confirm they are working with the Rangers to move the franchise to San Antonio.

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor confirmed the ongoing talks.

"I can confirm that I have been in detailed discussions for months with the San Antonio Missions,'' San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor told the newspaper. "The Missions are committed to being a partner in a downtown baseball project and are exploring every option available to bring a Triple-A baseball club to San Antonio. However, Minor League Baseball will have to approve any teams moving into or out of our city.''

Assuming the deal goes through, Houston would likely replace the Rangers in Round Rock. Ryan and his oldest son Reid work for the Houston Astros.