Last Week around the Leagues

by Fran Stuchbury
December 17, 2024 - California League (CalL)

This past week the California League's Modesto Nuts were sold to Diamond Baseball Holding which will relocate the team to San Bernardino for the 2026 season, San Diego Wave FC announced their five selections and completed two trades in the 2024 Major League Soccer Expansion Draft, and the Women's Lacrosse League revealed its four teams. Highlights from this week come from the California League, International League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, United Soccer League Championship, United Soccer League One, Canadian Premier League, Major Arena Soccer League, Women's Lacrosse League, National Lacrosse League, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Canadian Football League, American Hockey League, ECHL, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, North American Hockey League, Pro Volleyball Federation, Major League Rugby, and Ultimate Frisbee Association.

BASEBALL

California League

The Modesto Nuts announced that the Seattle Mariners have entered into an agreement to sell the club to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select Minor League Baseball clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). As part of DBH's acquisition, 2025 will mark the team's final season in Modesto. Home games throughout the season will be dedicated to honoring and celebrating the club's storied history in Modesto, and the Nuts' entire front office staff, led by General Manager Veronica Hernandez, will remain in place for the 2025 season. In 2026, the Mariners' Single-A affiliate will relocate to San Bernardino and compete as the Inland Empire 66ers. The Nuts had their inaugural season in 1946 and play their home games at John Thurman Field, which first opened in 1955. The California League club has tallied 11 league championships over the course of its existence, the latest of which came this past season.

The Inland Empire 66ers announced that it will reunite with the Seattle Mariners in 2026 to play as the team's Single-A Minor League affiliate. The Mariners have had two prior affiliations with the club in San Bernardino, from 1987-1994, and from 2001-2006. Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), the owner of the Inland Empire 66ers, today announced its acquisition of the Modesto Nuts, the current Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and its plans to relocate the team to the City of San Bernardino in 2026 to play at San Manuel Stadium. The 66ers will continue to play as the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels through 2025. "We're thrilled to reunite with the Seattle Mariners and become their Single-A affiliate again in 2026 after a great partnership with the Los Angeles Angels," 66ers General Manager Joe Hudson said. "We're eager to reintroduce Mariners baseball to the City of San Bernardino and have their minor league players hone their skills at San Manuel Stadium."

Modesto's minor-league baseball team has been sold and will play its final season in the city in 2025 before relocating to San Bernardino and being renamed the Inland Empire 66ers in 2026.

The owners of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes announced today they have entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select minor league clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Quakes will continue playing as the Single-A affiliate of the Dodgers through the 2025 season, after which the team will relocate to a new ballpark in the City of Ontario. In 2026, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels - currently playing as the Inland Empire 66ers - will move their team to Rancho Cucamonga to play as the Quakes. The Quakes' front office will remain in place throughout the transition and fans in Rancho Cucamonga can still expect to cheer on the Quakes at LoanMart Field following the move.

Brett Sports CEO Andy Billig says the sale of two of the company's holdings will mean a reinvestment and focus on Spokane's Chiefs and Indians.

International League

Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select minor league clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB), today announced it has entered into an agreement with affiliates of Cohen Private Ventures to purchase the Syracuse Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones. The teams will remain the Triple-A and High-A affiliates of the New York Mets, respectively, and join the franchise's Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, on the DBH roster. Both clubs will retain their front office staff and continue to be guided by their current leadership. "The New York Mets are deeply grateful to the staff and players of the Syracuse Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones. These franchises have created two of the best fan-bases in Minor League Baseball and we are excited to continue our affiliation with these cities," said M. Scott Havens, President of Business Operations, New York Mets. "With their acquisition by DBH, both clubs will have greater dedicated resources and player development tools to set them up for successful seasons for years to come."

The Syracuse Mets sold, but will stay in Syracuse

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

San Diego FC (SDFC) announced the Club made five selections and completed two trades in the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft. SDFC picked Orlando City midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth, Charlotte FC defender Hamady Diop and Colorado Rapids fullback/midfielder Jasper Loffelsend. Additionally, SDFC selected St. Louis CITY SC midfielder Hosei Kijima during the Expansion Draft and traded him to D.C. United in exchange for $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). SDFC also selected New York City FC forward Thiago Andrade and traded him to Toronto FC in exchange for the club's natural first-round pick in MLS SuperDraft 2025 and up to $250,000 in conditional GAM if certain performance metrics are met. San Diego also retains a percentage of a future transfer fee if Andrade is sold out of MLS by Toronto.

One-on-one with Tyler Heaps, San Diego FC's Sporting Director.

The owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps have announced they are looking to sell the team, saying the decision comes after "careful consideration" of "what is required to ensure its continued growth and success." The club's CEO, Axel Schuster, spoke to CBC News about their choice.

National Women's Soccer League

The North Carolina Courage announce that Chief Soccer Officer Curt Johnson has decided to leave the club to pursue other opportunities. An international search for his replacement will begin immediately. Courage Majority Owner and Chairperson Steve Malik will work with Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager Bobby Hammond to oversee day-to-day technical operations until the position is filled. Johnson and Malik collaborated on the timing of the resignation to minimize the disruption to the organization. Johnson spent 14 years with the North Carolina Football Club and worked with the Courage since the relocation to North Carolina from Western New York following the 2016 NWSL season, overseeing the technical staff and player personnel that have won an NWSL-best seven league trophies. Under Johnson, the Courage have won three NWSL Shields, a pair of NWSL Championships, and two Challenge Cups, plus the 2018 International Champions Cup. Overall, the Courage held a regular season record of 87W-48L-31D during Johnson's tenure and reached the playoffs in six of seven full seasons. Johnson originally joined the club as President of the Carolina RailHawks in 2011 and worked with the men's and women's teams concurrently from 2017 through 2023, helping North Carolina FC to the 2023 USL League One Championship, before shifting his focus solely on the Courage.

Push to bring National Women's Soccer League team to Cleveland enters its final stages

The Attacking Third crew react to the latest complications surrounding 2026 NWSL expansion club Bos Nation FC.

USL Championship

The Oakland Roots Soccer Club gave KTVU a preview inside the Oakland Coliseum to see the seating and new field that will greet fans when the season begins in March 2025.

USL League One

The United Soccer League (USL) announced today the expansion of the USL Jagermeister Cup, uniting clubs from the USL Championship and League One in a groundbreaking interleague competition. The 2025 tournament represents a significant milestone for domestic soccer, as it marks the first time a U.S. soccer league has established its own interleague cup between two professional divisions.

Canadian Premier League Entering its second year after a successful launch exclusively with League One clubs last season, the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup will feature all 38 professional men's clubs (24 Championship, 14 League One) competing in a World Cup-style tournament throughout the regular season. Adding more meaningful matches to the annual calendar, the USL Jägermeister Cup includes fan-first modifications to encourage attacking soccer, such as penalty shootouts to determine match winners during the group stage and goals scored as the first tiebreaker in the group standings. "We are thrilled to partner with Jagermeister to expand the competition to include both our men's professional leagues and create more matches of consequence," said USL President and Chief Soccer Officer Paul McDonough. "This new approach highlights the vision and commitment of our owners to explore innovative ways to adapt our structure, delivering a more compelling and entertaining format. This first-of-its-kind cup will give fans additional opportunities to support their teams and celebrate their communities in an exciting tournament."

Canadian Premier League

Pacific FC announced it has re-signed forward and club captain Josh Heard to a two-year contract guaranteed through 2026. The upcoming Canadian Premier League (CPL) season will mark Heard's sixth season with the club, after he joined the side in July 2020. The fiery fan-favourite, who was raised in Victoria after he was born in Wales, has worn the captain's armband for the Tridents since 2023. "This is my home and is where I wanted to be," said Heard. "There's no other place in Canada that I would want to play football." Heard made 18 appearances for the Tridents last season, logging 1137 minutes. A knee injury in August kept him out of play for several matches but Heard recovered in time to add fire power to Pacific's attack in the final matches of the season. He scored two goals for the Tridents in 2024, including one in Pacific's quarter-final win over Atlético Ottawa in the TELUS Canadian Championship.

After five years with Pacific FC, Canadian defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère has moved to the opposite coast to join Halifax Wanderers FC ahead of the 2025 season.

Major Arena Soccer League

Before we kick off Week 3, Alex Bastyovanszky takes us through everything you might have missed in Week 2 with this week's edition of MASL in 5!

LACROSSE

Women's Lacrosse League

The Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) has unveiled its four inaugural teams: the Boston Guard, New York Charging, Maryland Charm, and California Palms. These teams were selected through a detailed analysis of market factors such as broadcast viewership, women's lacrosse fandom, youth participation, and past PLL success. Making their debut at the 2025 Championship Series, these teams will compete for the first-ever WLL title from February 11-17 at The St. James in Washington, D.C., marking a historic moment for the sport.

The WLL will showcase the world's best lacrosse players in the dynamic Olympic Sixes format, paving the way for women's lacrosse to debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. With fast-paced action on a condensed field, a shortened shot clock, and draws only at the start of each quarter, the format promises excitement and intensity. WLL teams will compete alongside the top four PLL teams from the 2024 season, vying for the third PLL Championship Series title, making this a landmark event for the sport. "These inaugural four WLL teams represent the legacy, ambition, excitement and future of women's lacrosse," said Paul Rabil, Co-Founder and President of the Premier Lacrosse League. "When WLL pros step onto the field this February, fans worldwide- especially in Boston, New York, Maryland, and California- will witness the pinnacle of our sport. We're proud to create a new platform where elite women's players can compete for championships, represent their communities, and inspire the next generation of athletes."

A New Era is Here. The Inaugural Four WLL teams.

Why We Launched the Women's Lacrosse League. Go behind-the-scenes during the WLL's launch day and hear from Paul Rabil and Charlotte North on why this league is so important for both lacrosse and women's sports at large.

National Lacrosse League

Albany FireWolves forward Dyson Williams. It's another memorable moment in his already incredible rookie campaign with the Albany FireWolves.

NLL Top Plays: Week 3

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

Caitlin Clark Is TIME's 2024 Athlete of the Year. Caitlin Clark took the WNBA -and basketball - to a new level. See the best of 2024 with Caitlin Clark.

NBA G League

South Bay Lakers Bronny James ERUPTS For Career-High 30 PTS In 25 MINS Against Valley Suns

G League's Top 10 Plays Of The Week

FOOTBALL

Canadian Football League

The BC Lions have signed American quarterback Garrett Shrader to the roster. Shrader (6'4, 215 lbs)- the native of Charlotte, North Carolina began his college career at Mississippi State from 2019-20, starting four games at quarterback with 88 completions on 153 pass attempts for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns against five interceptions while adding ten carries for 113 yards and six majors on the ground. Garrett was moved to wide receiver ahead of the 2020 season and made one reception for eight yards while also seeing action on special teams. He moved to Syracuse for his final three seasons of eligibility and took over as starting quarterback four games into 2021. In 35 total appearances, Garrett had 462 completions (fifth in program history) for 5,771 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Kicker Rene Paredes, already one of the longest-serving players in Calgary Stampeders history, has signed a two-year contract to remain with the Red and White. The six-time all-star had been slated to become a free agent in February. Paredes has played 13 seasons with Calgary - ranking him fourth all-time in franchise history in terms of longevity - and his 229 regular-season games place him second in the Stampeders record books. "He's been a mainstay of the organization for a long time and it's always a big day when René makes a commitment to remain with the Stampeders," said Calgary general manager and head coach Dave Dickenson. "He's a big part of the team and he's a big part of the community." "I'm very excited to be back with the organization," said Paredes. "My family and I love the city and it's a blessing to have spent my entire career as a Stampeder. The last two seasons have been a challenge for us as a team but I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to help turn things around."

Relive the most electrifying touchdowns of the 2024 CFL season with our top 10 countdown.

United Football League

The United Football League and Upper Deck announced the unveiling of the first set of UFL trading cards featuring players from the league's inaugural 2024 season. Players representing each of the eight UFL teams are included in the set. "We are thrilled to reveal the UFL's inaugural set of trading cards with industry leader Upper Deck celebrating the league's 2024 season," said UFL Vice President of Consumer Products Ryan Segers. "Through an innovative approach, UFL fans and card enthusiasts get to control the way they possess the cards, either digitally or physically, and can exchange them amongst themselves on the Upper Deck e-Pack platform."

HOCKEY

American Hockey League

Rutger McGroarty Scores Fastest Teddy Bear Toss Goal In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins History.

ECHL

The ECHL announced that the 2025 Warrior/ECHL Hockey Heritage Game presented by Discover! Kalamazoo and Firekeepers between the Toledo Walleye and Kalamazoo Wings will be aired nationally on NHL Network on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 4:00 p.m. ET. This broadcast will be a tape-delay showing from the previous night on Jan, 18, when the two teams face-off at Wings Event Center. The rivalry between Kalamazoo and Toledo goes back 50 years. From the 1974-75 season through 1985-86. the K-Wings and Toledo Goaldiggers squared off in the International Hockey League, and the rivalry was renewed in the ECHL in the 2009-10 when Kalamazoo joined the league as an expansion team, and the newly-christened Walleye debuted in the newly-constructed Huntington Center.

A win at home for the three-peat Kelly Cup Champions and a few thousand bears donated, check out the action from Teddy Bear Toss with the Florida Everblades!

Western Hockey League

WHL Top 10 Plays of the Week

Ontario Hockey League

OHL Plays of the Week

OTHER SPORTS

Pro Volleyball Federation

The Atlanta Vibe is set to electrify downtown Atlanta with two thrilling home games at Georgia State University's Convocation Center at the end of March. These "inside-the-perimeter" matchups on March 28 and 30 will bring professional women's volleyball to the heart of the city, offering fans an unparalleled opportunity to experience the Vibe's competitive spirit in an intimate, urban setting. "We're bringing the Vibe to the very pulse of Atlanta," said Kayla Banwarth, Head Coach of the Atlanta Vibe. "These games at GSU's Convocation Center will allow passionate fans to feel the energy of professional volleyball like never before." The downtown location provides easy access for fans and proximity to local attractions, promising an electric atmosphere that will showcase the Vibe's elite performance. These special home games are part of the team's commitment to connecting with supporters across the metro area.

After inviting her to preseason training camp for a tryout, the Grand Rapids Rise announced on Tuesday the signing of opposite hitter Kaleigh Nelson for the 2025 Pro Volleyball Federation season. The 6-foot, right-side attacker from Salem, Oregon, last played professionally during the 2017-18 season in Sweden with Engelholm VS. Nelson was named the Swedish League's best scorer and opposite hitter, while Engelholm VS won the Swedish Cup. The year prior, Nelson made her pro debut with Köpenicker SC Berlin in Germany.

After a six-year retirement and having two children, Nelson will make her return to professional volleyball on home soil with the Rise. "I'm excited about being a part of a team of extremely hard-working, competitive women and bringing the joy that I feel competing with these women to fans across the United States," Nelson said. "Volleyball and women's sports as a whole are growing at an incredible rate here in the U.S. and I feel so blessed to be a part of that."

Pro Volleyball Federation Commissioner and CEO, Jen Spicher, talks about the 2024 Draft.

Major League Rugby

The Houston SaberCats had a top record in franchise history and the best record, 14-2 in the 2024 season. Relive the best moments.

Ultimate Frisbee Association

The BEST PLAYS from ultimate frisbee games at NFL halftime!

Did we miss anything newsworthy or fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.

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California League Stories from December 17, 2024

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.