This has been mentioned in these parts earlier but the Auburn Citizen recently speculated the Doubledays affiliation with the Blue Jays will come to an end after the 2010 season.  Reporter Kristin Kowaleski-Wolford claims it's the Jays are the ones who are walking out, a complete role reversal from the Syracuse-Toronto break-up.  She also makes comments in her blog about the D-Days/Jays parting of the ways.  Last week, Kowaleski-Wolford spoke with Charlie Wilson, the Jays director of minor league operations, about the possible end to the affiliation.

The Blue Jays and Doubledays have been joined at the hip since 2001 after the Jays-Queens Kings affiliation of 2000.  Before that, the Jays New York-Penn League affiliate was the St. Catharines Blue Jays/Stompers. The D-Days won six straight division titles from 2002 to 2007 with the 2007 team winning the league championship over the Brooklyn Cyclones, the team that relocated from Queens.  Brett Cecil was the winning pitcher and J.P. Arencibia homered in the championship clincher.  Other Jays players (past and present) who have spent time in Auburn also include Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Marc Rzepczynski, Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum, David Purcey, Dustin McGowan, Jesse Litsch, Josh Banks, Casey Janssen, Dave Bush and Brandon League.  Current Jays catcher John Buck was also in Auburn but that was when the club was affiliated with Houston.

The one constant of the Auburn-Toronto partnership has been Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg, a Jays employee since 1979 who has managed in Auburn since 2002.  The D-Days pitching coach is Halifax native and former Jay Vince Horsman.

With the recent announcement that the Jays were already looking to add another farm team to the minor league system in 2011, this development with Auburn raises a question mark or two.  Do the Jays have an issue with Falcon Park or Auburn management?  Do they feel they have a better opportunity elsewhere in the NYPL?   Batavia appears to be on its last legs as the Rochester Red Wings don't feel like losing more money on them.  Could Niagara Falls or St. Catharines step in and bring minor league baseball back north of the border?  Just speculation on my part.

Also to be resolved are the Jays Player Development Contracts with Las Vegas and Lansing as they are up after the 2010 season.    Their deal with New Hampshire is in effect until 2012.  Major league and minor league teams can officially negotiate with each other after the minor league regular season ends.

In other minor league happenings, the Orioles are leaving Bluefield of the Appalachian League after 53 years.  Maybe the Jays might take that over and become the Bluefield Blue Jays.  You can keep track of affiliation comings and goings right here.