Modesto Nuts sold. Back-to-back California League champions to leave after 2025 season
The Seattle Mariners on Thursday morning announced that they reached an agreement for Diamond Baseball Holdings to purchase its Single-A affiliate, the Modesto Nuts.
The Nuts will remain the Mariners’ California League affiliate and play in Modesto in 2025. The front office will remain in place.
According to a Modesto Nuts press release, 2025 will be the final season the Nuts are in Modesto and “home games throughout the season will be dedicated to honoring and celebrating the club’s storied history in Modesto.”
A news release from the city of Modesto says, “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 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.”
Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) is an American sports management group that owns more than 35 minor league baseball teams. According to the DBH website, it was formed in October 2021 by Pat Battle and Peter Freund “with the vision to promote and enhance the sport of baseball.” In December 2021, DBH announced the acquisition of 10 minor league baseball teams, including the San Jose Giants.
The first year the Modesto team was known as the Nuts was 2005. Previous names were the Modesto A’s, Modesto Reds and Modesto Colts. Notable recent alumni include Nolan Arenado and Julio Rodriguez, who plays for the Seattle Mariners.
In 2026, the Mariners’ Single-A affiliate will reside in Southern California as the organization will take over the Inland Empire 66ers. The Nuts (and the team under earlier names), a member of the California League, had their first season in 1946 and have won 11 league championships, including back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 under manager Zach Vincej.
The city says it will “continue to explore all affordable sports and entertainment options for Modesto.”
“I am sad to see the Modesto Nuts leave, we have a long standing tradition and local pride around baseball in Modesto,” said Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen in the release. “I am looking forward to the upcoming season and wish them well.”
Movement in Single-A
The Mariners-Nuts relationship was unique to minor league baseball as, before this week’s sale, the Nuts were one of the few minor league affiliates directly owned by the major league club.
The move has sparked a reaction through the California League. The Inland Empire 66ers will no longer be a Los Angeles Angels Single-A affiliate. They will re-join the Mariners’ organization, a team it was an affiliate of for two stints from 1987-1994 and 2001-2006.
A Cal League team, the 66ers have played in San Bernardino since 1987 and have called San Manuel Stadium home since its opening in 1996. Diamond Baseball Holdings already owns the 66ers.
It was also announced on Thursday that DBH purchased the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from Brett Sports. The Quakes will play as the Dodgers Single-A affiliate through the 2025 season. The Dodgers Single-A affiliate will relocate to a brand new ballpark in Ontario, Calif., a neighboring Inland Empire city, in 2026.
In 2026, Inland Empire 66ers will move their team to Rancho Cucamonga to play as the Quakes.
One last season to enjoy the Nuts
The move for the Nuts comes after the city of Modesto and Seattle Mariners could not negotiate a long-term lease agreement to keep the team at Modesto’s John Thurman Field.
The key issue was who would pay for Major League Baseball-mandated improvements to John Thurman Field, which opened in 1955. The cost was $32 million, according to a city memo, which cited as its source a study commissioned by the Mariners.
The Nuts enter the 2025 season as defending back-to-back California League champions and members of one of the best farm systems in all of baseball in recent years.
The Nuts’ 2025 schedule is already out and the team will kick off its final season in Modesto Friday, April 4, with a three-game series against the San Jose Giants.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 11:12 AM.
