Minor League Baseball is leaving Modesto after nearly 80 years.
The Nuts announced Thursday that the Seattle Mariners have sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings, which will relocate the franchise to San Bernardino.
The big picture: Diamond Baseball Holdings, which owns around 40 Minor League teams across the country, will move the Nuts to San Bernardino in 2026, where they will be called the Inland Empire 66ers.
- The Nuts will play their final season at John Thurman Field, which first opened in 1955. The Nuts have been in Modesto since 1946.
- Modesto is the Single-A affiliate for the Seattle Mariners.
Flashback: The Mariners and Modesto initially couldn’t come to an agreement earlier this year on keeping the team in town, leading to an announcement that the Nuts would be relocated following the 2024 season.
- But they ultimately came together on a one-year agreement for 2025.
What they’re saying: “I am sad to see the Modesto Nuts leave,” said Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen in a statement. “We have a longstanding tradition and local pride around baseball in Modesto.”
- The city said in a statement that it worked hard to negotiate a long-term lease agreement but the Mariners chose to go in a different direction.
Driving the news: Thursday’s development started in 2020 when Major League Baseball updated its standards for Minor League Stadiums.
- John Thurman Field needed $32 million in renovations to meet the new standards.
