As the Modesto Nuts pack up their gear bags and head to Southern California, the city of Modesto bids farewell to a part of its community.
Founded in 1946 as the Modesto Reds, the minor league team has played under several names before adopting the “Modest Nuts” in 2005. Though the team has seen many changes over the decades, one thing has remained constant: Modesto was always home.
The team’s departure marks a significant loss for the city and its sports history. Beginning with the 2026 season, the franchise will relocate to San Bernardino and take the field as the Inland Empire 66ers at San Manuel Stadium.
Despite the sudden departure of the Modesto Nuts, the city was quick to recover. Modesto has already secured a new Pioneer team to call John Thurman Field home.
Just days after the Nuts played their final game, the Modesto City Council voted unanimously days after the Modesto Nuts’ final game to approve a new lease agreement with Main Street Baseball LLC.
Veronica Hernandez, general manager for the Modesto Nuts, spoke on what’s to come for the future of Modesto with this upcoming lease agreement and partnership.
“I know that the City of Modesto has a deal now with the Pioneer League team,” Hernandez said.
She continued by discussing the process of getting this team ready for the first pitch.
“So now, with this new team coming in, they have to recruit players and all that stuff too and they now have less time to get to their opening day. It depends on how quick they can build, how experienced those individuals are to be able to redo the things that we are doing in the community,” she said.
With these sudden changes, questions regarding the loss of previous staff members have arisen. Hernandez also addressed these concerns and discussed the future for current employees.
“The easiest way to explain it is that the front office staff probably has a better chance of moving to a different team. We’re lucky our ownership group owns 40 teams across the country… Now, it’s up to us as individuals,” she stated.
Hernandez continued to talk about these new opportunities that come with new change.
“Do we want to move across the country? I’ve had offers for my staff to move to New York, to move to Southern California, to move to I think it was Oklahoma or something like that. So, we can move, but do we really want to?” she said.
Due to the new organization coming to Modesto, there is still hope that these employees can continue working at John Thurman Field under the new ownership:
“I think the neat thing about having this Pioneer League team come in, is that a good chunk of them [the staff] have the opportunity. I don’t know what kind of opportunity the new team is gonna give our current event staff. But, there is gonna be part-time jobs next year. There is gonna be seasonal jobs next year, because they do have to run a stadium at the end of the day.”
Main Street Baseball CEO and President Dave Heller announced plans to sell the naming rights for the John Thurman Field. Revenue generated from that sale will go to Main Street Baseball. However, the city will receive a share of 15% if the sale is under $150,000, and 20% if it exceeds that amount.
The five-year lease for the new pioneer team began on Oct. 1. Main Street Baseball will pay $120,000 per year in rent with a 4% increase each year. This lease does come with the possibility of a three-year extension beyond the set five years.
As part of the agreement, $950,000 in taxpayer dollars will be allocated for stadium renovations, including new drink rails, flooring, tile, paint, and other aesthetic upgrades.
The renovations are set to be completed by May of 2026, as the new Pioneer team is set to throw their first pitch in May of 2026.
