Houston Astros: Asheville Tourists receive farm system invite

The Houston Astros have been busy setting up their new farm system with new teams in new places.

The Asheville Tourists, previously the Colorado Rockies Class A affiliate, have officially received an invitation to become the Class A Advanced Club for the Houston Astros according to a report by Houston Chronicle beat writer Chandler Rome.

Per Brian McTaggart, The Tourists have been a Colorado Rockies affiliate for 26 years, dating back to 1994. They were previously an affiliate of Astros from 1967,1982-1993 and Hall of Famer  Craig Biggio briefly played for them. They will replace Quad City who went to be with the Kansas City Royals. Shane Reynolds also pitched for them briefly.

Houston Astros General Manager James Click said in a statement that he is very excited about bringing the Tourists into the Astros organization.

"The Astros are very excited about partnering with the Tourists franchise and setting up roots in the city of Asheville,” Astros general manager James Click said in a statement. “Asheville is one of the most historic franchises in all of Minor League Baseball, and we look forward to adding to that history."

The Asheville Tourists have not yet accepted the invitation at time of publication.

The Astros have recently acquired new teams for their farm system, most notably the Sugarland Skeeters, a independent ball club who was playing in the Atlantic League. The Corpus Christi Hooks and The Fayetteville Woodpeckers will still be apart of the Astros organization going forward.

These changes for the Astros and all of Minor League Baseball comes after Major League Baseball decided to take over the minor league system. These recent moves by the Astros benefit the team greatly, especially the Skeeters becoming an affiliate, considering the proximity to the stadium in Houston.

The Asheville Tourists are a solid addition to the Astros because of their history with the team and could offer a lot to the organization.