Columbia Fireflies extend agreement with Mets

The Columbia Fireflies and New York Mets announced Thursday that they are extending their Player Development Contract through the 2020 season.

The Mets have been affiliated with Hardball Capital's South Atlantic League franchise since 2007 when the team was located in Savannah, Ga. The affiliation followed the team to Columbia when they became the Fireflies in 2016.

“We're excited to extend our relationship with the New York Mets through 2020,” said Fireflies team President John Katz. “We've had a terrific working relationship with the Mets for over a decade, and we look forward to watching their future stars play here at Spirit Communications Park.”

The announcement comes a few months after the Mets announced the purchase of the Syracuse Chiefs. Starting in 2019, the Mets Triple-A affiliate will be much closer to home moving from Las Vegas to Syracuse. This move makes the Fireflies one of the few remaining Mets Affiliates outside the state of New York.

“We are extremely happy that we will be in Columbia for at least the next three years," said New York Mets General manager Sandy Alderson. "Jason Freier, John Katz and all their staff do a terrific job for our players and for Fireflies fans.”

This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Columbia Fireflies extend agreement with Mets."