If you were looking for player development contract news today – the first day in the two-week minor league affiliate shuffle period – you got it!

… it just isn’t the news you were expecting. At all.

Today, the Chicago Cubs announced that they’ve re-upped with the Iowa Cubs – their AAA affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa – for two more years. Why is that notable? The two sides’ PDC wasn’t expiring until 2016. Now it’s not expiring until 2018. Cool by me.

The Cubs’ relationship with Iowa stretches back nearly 34 years – the 8th longest affiliation in baseball – and Des Moines has always been a particularly Cubs-fan-ish non-Chicago part of the country. That the two would not be parting any time soon was expected.

“We are pleased to reach a PDC extension with Iowa,” said Jason McLeod in a statement released by the Cubs. “We thank Michael Gartner, Sam Bernabe and the entire Iowa Cubs family for their commitment to providing a great experience for our Triple-A players. The players who have come through Iowa speak of their positive experiences in Des Moines and appreciate their great fans, and we are thrilled to continue this long-standing partnership.”

”Our long-standing relationship with the Chicago Cubs is a source of pride for our organization and our community,” Iowa Cubs President/General Manager Sam Bernabe said in the same statement. “We are very pleased with Chicago’s commitment to their minor league system and our fans enjoy seeing the exciting young players on the field at Principal Park. This extension shows that the Cubs appreciate the work our staff does to provide a top notch facility and operation to support their players and staff members throughout the year.”

The Cubs have now extended, in advance, their relationships with Iowa and Tennessee (AA), while still working on what’s going to happen with the Daytona Cubs, the Kane County Cougars, and the Boise Hawks.