Before we get to player-development shuffle updates, I just saw that Major League Baseball is relocating the Civil Rights Game from Memphis to Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark in June. The news must be hard to take for the Redbirds—who lose out on hosting one of their bigger events of the year—particularly since the game was the brainchild of team president Dave Chase.

MLB’s Jimmie Lee Solomon gets a lot of the public credit for the game, particularly from Bud Selig, and he did a lot to make it a reality. But the idea and creation of the event was all Chase’s, and it seems like Memphis should have had another opportunity to make an event that had been marred by poor weather in each of the past two seasons a bigger success.

On to the shuffle . . .

For months the rumors have been swirling about who is going where:

• The Dodgers have had enough of Triple-A Vegas
• The Brewers might leave West Virginia for Wisconsin
• And of course, the Indians are coming to Columbus and the Mets are headed to somewhere in Upstate New York.

Well, yesterday marked the official opening of the player development shuffle and several teams wasted little time to move shop.

The Dodgers announced that not only are they leaving Las Vegas Vegas, as expected, but that they have called it quits in Double-A Jacksonville.  The Dodgers are returning to Albuquerque, their Triple-A home from 1972 to 2000 after deciding enough was enough at aging Cashman Field. In addition, in an attempt to move closer to their new Arizona spring training home, the Dodgers are relocating their Double-A affiliate from Jacksonville to Chattanooga. Apparently the team wanted to move to the Texas League, the western-most Double-A circuit, but could not find an open affiliate. Chattanooga was the next-best location.

“They liked the location of our park; they liked the location of Chattanooga in the league; and it just made a lot of sense,” Lookouts owner Frank Burke told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “It’s a nationally recognized franchise and it’s got a lot of history, just like the Lookouts. I’m hoping it will be a great partnership.”

Rumors had emerged that the Pirates might leave both high Class A Lynchburg and low Class A Hickory. The Lynchburg move didn’t make sense considering the lack of available Carolina League affiliates and the Pirates ended up signing a two-year extension there. However they are indeed leaving Hickory, and moving to suddenly available West Virginia. It seems like a great move for the Pirates, bringing their low Class A club closer to home and into four-year-old Appalachian Power Park. The move seems to have the local West Virginians quite excited, including Pirates broadcaster Lanny Frattare. The news gives even more credence to suggestions that the Brewers will move their low A affiliate from West Virginia in state to Appleton (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers).

Reports have surfaced that the Indians have signed their inevitable deal with Columbus, though team officials deny the papers are signed.

Rumors continue that the Marlins, now in need of a Triple-A home, are coming to New Orleans—an obviously better geographic fit for the Fish. If this is true, it leaves the Blue Jays and Nationals competing for Syracuse—the final available eastern affiliate.

In other news, the Mets and low Class A Savannah re-upped for two years, as did the Nationals and short-season Vermont.

We’ll have more tomorrow. In the meantime, below is an updated PDC chart:

NTERNATIONAL LEAGUE (Triple-A)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 3
Buffalo Bisons – Indians (PDC expires after 2008 season)
Charlotte Knights – White Sox (2010)
Columbus Clippers – Nationals (2008)
Durham Bulls – Rays (2010)
Gwinnett County – Braves (owned by Atlanta)
Indianapolis Indians – Pirates (2012)
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Phillies (2010)
Louisville Bats – Reds (2010)
Norfolk Tides – Orioles (2010)
Pawtucket Red Sox – Red Sox (2010)
Rochester Red Wings – Twins (2010)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees – Yankees (2010)
Syracuse Chiefs – Blue Jays (2008)
Toledo Mud Hens – Tigers (2010)

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 7.
Albuquerque Isotopes – Dodgers (2010)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox – Rockies (2010)
Fresno Grizzlies – Giants (2010)
Iowa Cubs – Cubs (2012)
Las Vegas 51s – Dodgers (2008)
Memphis Redbirds – Cardinals (2012)
Nashville Sounds – Brewers (2010)
New Orleans Zephyrs – Mets (2008)
Oklahoma RedHawks – Rangers (2010)
Omaha Royals – Royals (2010)
Portland Beavers – Padres (2010)
Round Rock Express – Astros (2010)
Sacramento River Cats – Athletics (2010)
Salt Lake Bees – Angels (2012)
Tacoma Rainiers – Mariners (2010)
Tucson Sidewinders – Diamondbacks (2010)

EASTERN LEAGUE (Double-A)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 3.
Akron Aeros – Indians (2012)
Altoona Curve – Pirates (2010)
Binghamton Mets – Mets (2010)
Bowie Baysox – Orioles (2010)
Connecticut Defenders – Giants (2008)
Erie SeaWolves – Detroit (2010)
Harrisburg Senators – Nationals (2010)
New Britain Rock Cats – Twins (2010)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats – Blue Jays (2012)
Portland Sea Dogs – Red Sox (2012)
Reading Phillies – Phillies (2010)
Trenton Thunder – Yankees (2008)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE (Double-A)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 5
Birmingham Barons – White Sox (2010)
Carolina Mudcats – Marlins (2008)
Chattanooga Lookouts – Dodgers (2010)
Huntsville Stars – Brewers (2010)
Jacksonville Suns – Vacant/Dodgers (2008)
Mississippi Braves – Braves (owned by Atlanta)
Mobile BayBears – Arizona (2010)
Montgomery Biscuits – Rays (2010)
Tennessee Smokies – Cubs (2012)
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx – Mariners (2010)

TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 2
Arkansas Travelers – Angels (2010)
Corpus Christi Hooks – Astros (2010)
Frisco RoughRiders – Rangers (2010)
Midland RockHounds – Athletics (2012)
San Antonio Missions – Padres (2010)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals – Royals (2012)
Springfield Cardinals – Cardinals (owned by St. Louis)
Tulsa Drillers – Rockies (2010)

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (HiA)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 6
Bakersfield Blaze – Rangers (2010)
High Desert Mavericks – Mariners (2008)
Lake Elsinore Storm – Padres (2012)
Lancaster JetHawks – Red Sox (2008)
Modesto Nuts – Rockies (2010)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Angels (2010)
Inland Empire 66ers – Dodgers (2008)
San Jose Giants – Giants (2008)
Stockton Ports – Athletics (2012)
Visalia Oaks – Diamondbacks (2010)

CAROLINA LEAGUE (HiA)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 3
Frederick Keys – Orioles (2010)
Kinston Indians – Indians (2010)
Lynchburg Hillcats – Pirates (2010)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Braves (2010)
Potomac Nationals – Nationals (2010)
Salem Avalanche – Astros (2008)
Wilmington Blue Rocks – Royals (2010)
Winston-Salem Warthogs – White Sox (2008)

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE (HiA)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 1
Brevard County Manatees – Brewers (2010)
Clearwater Threshers – Phillies (owned by Philadelphia)
Daytona Cubs – Cubs (2012)
Dunedin Blue Jays – Blue Jays (owned by Toronto)
Fort Myers Miracle – Twins (2012)
Jupiter Hammerheads – Marlins (owned by Florida)
Lakeland Flying Tigers – Tigers (owned by Detroit)
Palm Beach Cardinals – Cardinals (owned by St. Louis)
St. Lucie Mets – Mets (owned by New York
Sarasota Reds – Reds (owned by Cincinnati)
Tampa Yankees – Yankees (owned by New York)
Vero Beach Devil Rays – Tampa Bay (owned by the Dodgers)

MIDWEST LEAGUE (LoA)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 6.
Beloit Snappers – Twins (2010)
Burlington Bees – Royals (2010)
Cedar Rapids Kernels -Angels (2010)
Clinton Lumber Kings – Rangers (2008)
Dayton Dragons – Reds (2010)
Fort Wayne Wizards – Padres (2010)
Great Lakes Loons – Dodgers (2010)
Kane County Cougars – Athletics (2010)
Lansing Lugnuts – Blue Jays (2010)
Peoria Chiefs – Cubs (2012)
Quad Cities River Bandits – Cardinals (2010)
South Bend Silver Hawks – Diamondbacks (2012)
West Michigan Whitecaps – Tigers (2010)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Mariners (2008)

SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE (LoA)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 10
Asheville Tourists – Rockies (2012)
Augusta GreenJackets – Giants (2010)

Bowling Green — Rays (2010)

Charleston Riverdogs Yankees (2012)

Delmarva Shorebirds – Orioles (2010)
Greensboro Grasshoppers – Marlins (2010)
Greenville Drive – Red Sox (2012)
Hagerstown Suns – Nationals (2010)
Hickory Crawdads – Vacant/Pirates (2008)
Kannapolis Intimidators – White Sox (2010)
Lake County Captains – Indians (2010)
Lakewood Blue Claws – Phillies (2010)
Lexington Legends – Astros (2012)
Rome Braves – Braves (owned by Atlanta)
Savannah Sand Gnats – Mets (2010)
West Virginia Power – Pirates (2010)

New York-Penn (Rookie)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 7
Aberdeen IronBirds – Orioles (2010)
Auburn Doubledays – Blue Jays (2010)
Batavia Muckdogs – Cardinals (2010)
Brooklyn Cyclones – Mets (owned by New York)
Hudson Valley Renegades – Rays (2010)
Jamestown Jammers – Marlins (2008)
Lowell Spinners – Red Sox (2010)
Mahoning Valley Scrappers – Indians (2010)
Oneonta Tigers – Tigers (2010)
State College Spikes – Pirates (2010)
Staten Island Yankees – Yankees (owned by New York/Mandalay)
Tri-City ValleyCats – Astros (2010)
Vermont Lake Monsters – Nationals (2010)
Williamsport Crosscutters – Phillies (2010)

NORTHWEST LEAGUE (Rookie)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 6
Boise Hawks – Cubs (2010)
Eugene Emeralds – Padres (2012)
Everett AquaSox – Mariners (2010)
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – Giants (2008)
Spokane Indians – Rangers (2010)
Tri-City Dust Devils – Rockies (2010)
Vancouver Canadians – Athletics (2010)
Yakima Bears – Diamondbacks (2010)

PIONEER LEAGUE (Rookie)
PDCs expiring after 2008 season: 3
Billings Mustangs – Reds (2010)
Casper Ghosts – Rockies (2010)
Great Falls Voyagers – White Sox (2010)
Helena Brewers – Brewers (2010)
Idaho Falls Chukars – Royals (2008)
Missoula Osprey – Diamondbacks (2010)
Ogden Raptors – Dodgers (2010)
Xx Orem Owlz – Angels (2012)