The Connecticut Tigers and the Detroit Tigers announced Wednesday they have agreed to a four-year extension to their Player Development Contract (PDC), guaranteeing the agreement through the 2018 season.

"We are extremely excited to be able to continue to be a part of the Detroit Tigers family," Connecticut Tigers Vice President and General Manager Eric Knighton said in a press release announcing the PDC extension. "To be able to extend our relationship a year early and to lock it into place for an additional four years will allow us to continue to grow the Tigers brand in the region."

The current PDC was set to expire at the end of the 2014 season. Knighton said the Connecticut Tigers are "very fortunate" to be affiliated with a Major League organization with such a rich history.

"We've really enjoyed working with everyone in the Detroit front office and look forward to many more seasons to come of Tigers baseball at Dodd Stadium."

The Connecticut Tigers are the short-season Class A New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and play a 76 game schedule that runs from mid June through early September. The team moved from Oneonta, N.Y. to Norwich in 2010.

"The superb operation of the team, quality of the facility and the Norwich community along with the Connecticut Tigers desire to remain affiliated with Detroit, has provided us the opportunity to now enter into a four year extension of our PDC through 2018," Detroit Tigers Director of Minor League Operations Dan Lunetta said in the press release. "It is with excitement that we look forward to the next five years of continuing the pride of Tigers baseball in Southeastern Connecticut."

- Claire Bessette