Chicago Cubs extend Midwest League deal with South Bend

The Chicago Cubs have extended the player development contract with their Class A Midwest League affiliate in South Bend, Indiana.

The extension with the South Bend Cubs is unusual in that it comes 2½ years before the original contract was set to expire. The new deal runs through the 2020 season.

In September 2014, the Cubs announced they were leaving their affiliation with the Kane County Cougars to form a new partnership with the South Bend Silver Hawks as the team was known then. Since then, both clubs have spoken highly of the affiliation.

"It means Chicago recognizes that the fans in this region who welcome and follow our players are on par with the fans at Wrigley Field," said South Bend owner Andrew T. Berlin in a statement. "And it means that our South Bend operation is living up to the promise we made about helping future Chicago Cubs players make it to the World Series someday."

When the Cubs left Kane County for South Bend, the primary attractions were a renovated ballpark and a large training facility.

"They have provided our players with first-class facilities, which has translated to success on the field, as evidenced by this season's first-half division title and strong representation in the Midwest League All-Star Game," Cubs president Theo Epstein said in the statement. "Their organization, as well as the South Bend community, has been a tremendous asset to our farm system."