Modesto Nuts moving to San Bernardino in California League shift

Baseball has struck out in Modesto.

The largest operator of minor league baseball teams bought the Modesto Nuts and plans to move the team to San Bernardino in 2026, the Nuts announced Thursday. Modesto has fielded a California League team since 1946.

The move helps create a mecca of minor league baseball in the Inland Empire, with three California League teams set to play within 25 miles come 2026 — and with all three teams now owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH).

The Dodgers will move their California League affiliate from Rancho Cucamonga to a new $100-million ballpark in Ontario. The Angels, who were affiliated with Rancho Cucamonga from 2001-2010, will return there from San Bernardino.

The Seattle Mariners owned the Nuts, but the team and city failed to reach agreement on a long-term lease extension. DBH bought the team and plans to return the Mariners’ affiliate to San Bernardino, where Ken Griffey Jr. played as a Seattle prospect at age 18 in 1988, the year before the Hall of Famer made his major league debut. The Mariners’ California League affiliate played in San Bernardino from 1987-1994 and from 2001-2006.

DBH also announced its acquisition of the Quakes from Brett Sports, run by Bobby Brett, brother of Hall of Famer George Brett. DBH already owned the San Bernardino team.

The team names — the Quakes in Rancho Cucamonga, the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino — will remain even as the affiliations change. The Ontario team has not yet selected a name.

The Nuts name, which inspired “Go Nuts!” chants and honored a Central Valley that produces almost all the almonds, walnuts and pistachios in the United States, will remain in Modesto, for a city without a team.

In 2021, Major League Baseball took over the minor leagues and eliminated 43 teams affiliated with MLB teams, including the one in Lancaster. MLB also mandated facility standards for the remaining 120 teams, often at significant expense to host cities.

DBH now owns 41 of those teams.

In Modesto, where John Thurman Field dates to 1955, MLB requested $32 million worth of improvements. The Mariners said — and the city acknowledged — the team offered to pay, but the city remained uncomfortable with other, undisclosed potential deal terms.

“The city worked hard to negotiate a long-term lease agreement to keep the team in Modesto, but the Seattle Mariners chose to go in a different direction,” the City of Modesto said in a statement.

The Nuts won the California League championship this year. Next year will be a farewell season.

“It is disappointing to see the Modesto Nuts have been sold and will leave after being part of our community for so long; for generations, the team has given Modesto so many unforgettable moments,” the city’s statement read. “The Modesto Nuts have been deeply rooted in our community and have a cultural legacy far beyond the sport. Bringing people together through games, traditions, and a united love for baseball.

“While it is difficult to say goodbye, we will embrace this final season and celebrate the club’s cherished history in Modesto.”