Tribe parting ways with Buffalo Bisons

CLEVELAND -- Bye bye, Buffalo.

In a move expected all year, the Indians officially severed their ties with Buffalo as a Minor League affiliate Tuesday, likely paving the way toward a move to Columbus, Ohio. The Bisons had been the Tribe's Triple-A team for the past 14 seasons. It was the Indians' fourth stint with the Buffalo club.

The Tribe has sent a letter to Major League Baseball indicating its desire to terminate the player development contract with Buffalo. On Sept. 15, MLB will inform the Indians of the available teams and locations for a Triple-A team.

Columbus might as well be first on the list.

The Clippers' player development contract with the Nationals expired at the end of the Minor League season, and the team is moving into a new downtown ballpark, Huntington Park, in 2009.

For the Indians, a move to Columbus would be a no-brainer, given that it would give the Tribe a greater presence in the state capital. Columbus is located about 140 miles southwest of Cleveland.

It is also expected that SportsTime Ohio, the Indians' television home, will broadcast Triple-A games from Columbus.

In other Minor League affiliate news, Class A Lake County will move from the South Atlantic League to the Midwest League, beginning with the 2010 season.

The move makes more logistical sense for team travel, as the Midwest League features teams in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, whereas the South Atlantic League has teams in Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia.