Pro baseball: Willmar Cardinals grad gets closer to home

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Jan. 6—A new chapter is on the horizon for Jordan Smith and his family.

After spending 14 seasons in the Cleveland Guardians organization as a player, coach and manager, Smith is joining the

organization in 2026.

Smith, 35, signed a 1-year contract to manage the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.

Fort Myers, of the Florida State League (FSL), has been affiliated with the Twins since 1993. It served as a High-A club for 27 seasons before becoming a Single-A team in 2021.

Also currently serving as affiliate teams for Minnesota are the St. Paul Saints (Triple-A), Wichita Wind Surge (Double-A) and Cedar Rapids Kernels (High-A).

"Fort Myers is the perfect fit for our family," said Smith, who graduated from

in 2009 and is a former St. Cloud State University star. "It is definitely a God thing and we are excited for the next adventure."

After his third season of managing the Lynchburg Hillcats, the Single-A affiliate for the Guardians in Virginia in the Carolina League, Smith became a free agent.

Smith received an offer to return to the Hillcats, but he wanted to explore his options.

Then, as teams reached out to Smith during free agency, the Twins showed interest.

Minnesota touched base with its Cleveland connections to find out if Smith was worth interviewing to the tune of a positive amount of appraisals.

"Next thing you know I am saying yes to the Twins," said Smith, who replaces Seth Feldman after he served as manager for one season. Fort Myers had an FSL worst 52-73 record in 2025. "It was a cool process and it brought me back to being a little kid and cheering for the Twins."

There is no doubt Smith and his family relished their time in Lynchburg.

But, as they approached their fourth year in Lynchburg, they felt it was time for a change.

And when the Twins offered Smith, it was an opportunity he and his family could not pass up.

"We wanted some new scenery and a different adventure," Smith said. "It was one of those things where we wanted to see what else is out there for us and have a better pathway to growth."

Smith's long-standing tenure with Cleveland ended on a high note.

He led the Hillcats to the Carolina League Championship in September 2025, which marked Lynchburg's first league title since 2017 and ninth in team history.

Smith, who was named the Carolina League Manager of the Year, led the Hillcats to a 70-59 record in 2025 and had a 204-185 overall record in his three seasons as manager.

"It honestly felt like riding off into the sunset," Smith said. "You put all this work in.

"You are investing in your players, your family is sacrificing so much, your kids are growing up and traveling from city to city is their normal. ... To be named Manager of the Year and then win the championship with my family there for like every single game of the season cheering me on and sacrificing so much, it was just super rewarding. This is such a God thing. He has been very good to us, but it definitely was a good way to end the chapter and then start a new journey with a new organization."

He played eight seasons in the minor leagues, including seven with the Guardians, before pursuing coaching and managing opportunities.

Smith had been promoted as high as the Columbus Clippers, Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate, for back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017 before his career ended in 2018.

Now, Smith, once a "die hard" Twins fan, will manage in Minnesota's organization.

"Talon (Jordan's son, 8) is pretty excited to be a Twins fan and his friends to be cheering for the same team as he is because for all those years, he was going to school as a Cleveland fan," said Smith, who also has a daughter, Laney, 5, with his wife, Ashley. The couple has been married for 12 years. "I think it will just feel good to come home, be back on the hometown team, be able to cheer and be a Twins fan again."

Smith is excited for what is to come, as is his family, on and off the field.

With opportunity for growth, the higher affiliated teams under Minnesota's organization are closer to home.

Fort Myers also provides plenty of warmth and a suitable beach life for his family to enjoy.

"Minnesota is an exciting organization to be a part of right now — the Twins moved a lot of pieces and now they have a lot of young prospects," Smith said. "I'm really excited about the weather right now — you should ask me in July how I'm doing."

Smith,

, will make his Fort Myers managing debut when the Mighty Mussels open up the 2026 season against the Clearwater Threshers, the Single-A affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies, at 7:05 p.m. EST on April 2, at Hammond Stadium.

"I'm really grateful that my family wants to sign up to do this life because it's a huge sacrifice," Smith said.

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