The Modesto Nuts are slated to play their final season this year at John Thurman Field after the Seattle Mariners and the city have failed to agree on mandated improvements for the minor league baseball stadium.
The Mariners and Modesto announced Wednesday that they could not reach a mutual agreement on a long-term lease extension, which is set to expire on Sep. 30.
The big picture: In 2016 the Seattle Mariners became partial owners of private ownership group HWS and fully acquired the organization in 2020.
- But Major League Baseball reorganized the minor leagues in 2021, placing a number of new standards for minor league stadiums.
- While the Nuts and the city did not comment on the specifics surrounding their failed negotiations, a similar situation is underway in Visalia, where the south Valley city and the Visalia Rawhide are disagreeing on who should pay for improvements to Valley Strong Stadium to ensure compliance with the new standards.
- The Nuts did not reveal their plans for relocation for the 2025 season and beyond.
- There are around 30 home games remaining in the 2024 season at John Thurman Field.
What they’re saying: “We’re disappointed we were unable to agree upon an extension,” said Nuts General Manager, Veronica Hernandez. “I know we and the city worked very hard to find common ground and unfortunately were unable to accomplish our goal.”
- Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen said, “We are thankful for the legacy the Modesto Nuts leaves behind and we wish them the very best success in their future endeavors. Negotiations can be very challenging, and we worked diligently over the last year with the Modesto Nuts to explore various solutions.”
