The Cleveland Guardians have one of the best farm systems in baseball, primarily due to the talent of their prospects. But the managers and coaches who guide those players are equally important to that success.
Sometimes, that can lead to members of the organization leaving for another job elsewhere. That is the case for longtime minor league coach Jordan Smith.
The manager reportedly is leaving the franchise to join the Minnesota Twins.
“Cleveland Guardians minor league manager Jordan Smith who won the Carolina League Championship in 2025 with Single-A Lynchburg has joined the Minnesota Twins organization and will manage for Single-A Fort Myers in 2026,” Guardians Prospective wrote on X. “Smith has been with Cleveland as a player then a coach and manager for 14 seasons dating back to 2011 when he was drafted in the 9th Round out of St. Could State.”
Cleveland #Guardians minor league manager Jordan Smith who won the Carolina League Championship in 2025 with Single-A Lynchburg has joined the Minnesota Twins organization and will manage for Single-A Fort Myers in 2026.
Smith has been with Cleveland as a player then a coach and…
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) December 29, 2025
This was the first championship for Lynchburg since 2017. The winning roster included several picks from the 2025 MLB Draft.
Smith never made it to the major leagues as a player. The outfielder played seven seasons in the minors, the last in Double-A in 2018. He had a respectable .271 batting average in his 778 games.
He started his post-playing career in 2019 as the bench coach for Lake County. He managed the past three seasons at Lynchburg with a record of 204-185.
Smith is not the only staff departure the organization has suffered this offseason. Most notably, Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz left to become the manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
In addition, field coordinator Kai Correa left to become bench coach of the New York Mets, and assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez was hired as hitting coach of the Houston Astros. The Guardians were able to keep longtime pitching coach Carl Willis, who helped develop a strong staff under manager Stephen Vogt.
The farm system should continue to pay dividends for Cleveland in 2026 with heralded prospects Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana expected to become key contributors.
NEXT: Insider Predicts Guardians' Starting Rotation in 2026
