Report says Spokane Indians will become new High-A affiliate of Los Angeles Dodgers

The Spokane Indians may be poised to become a full-season High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report in the Orange County (California) Register on Thursday.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, said that a team based in Spokane will replace the Dodgers’ current High-A affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, although another unnamed source said the change had not been finalized.

Baseball America editor J.J. Cooper later tweeted, “A source with direct knowledge tells me that the report of the Dodgers affiliating with Spokane for high Class A in 2021 is incorrect.”

In a statement, the Spokane Indians said: “To our knowledge, nothing is confirmed and this is the first we’ve heard of this news. If anything becomes finalized, we will share that information. Either way, we are excited about the future of baseball in Spokane.”

Since 2003, the Indians have been affiliated with the Texas Rangers as a short-season A team. A move to High-A would expand their schedule to a full season, from April to early September.

Major League Baseball is reducing its number of minor league affiliates from 160 to 120 teams, which would leave each team with four affiliates, including Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Low-A.

The Indians have played in the short-season A Northwest League since 1983, including affiliations with the San Diego Padres (1983-94) and the Kansas City Royals (1992-2002) before the current one with the Rangers.

They last played full-season baseball in 1982, as the Triple-A team for the California Angels.

From 1958 to 1972, the Spokane Indians were affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including 13 seasons as their Triple-A team in the Pacific Coast League.