Multiple Former Seattle Mariners Earn Invitations to Minnesota Twins Spring Training
In this story:
When the Minnesota Twins report to spring training in Fort Meyers, Fla. this week, they'll do so with multiple former members of the Seattle Mariners looking to make the roster. Infielder Mike Ford and pitchers Darren McCaughan and Anthony Misiewicz are looking for their next opportunities.
Per a release from the Twins:
Of the 16 players invited to camp, eight have major league service time: Armando Alvarez (Oakland), Scott Blewett (Kansas City and Minnesota), Randy Dobnak (Minnesota), Mike Ford (New York-AL, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles-AL and Cincinnati), Darren McCaughan (Seattle, Miami and Cleveland), Anthony Misiewicz (Seattle, Kansas City, Arizona, Detroit and New York-AL), Alex Speas (Texas and Houston) and Huascar Ynoa (Atlanta).
Now 30-years-old, Misiewicz has played with the Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers and Yankees since making his debut in 2020. He appeared in 104 games for the M's over 2.5 seasons (2020-2022), becoming a staple of the bullpen in the 2021 season that saw the M's miss the playoffs on the final day of the year.
He appeared in 66 games that season, pitching to a 4.61 ERA over 54.2 innings. Lifetime, he's 8-9 with a 4.67 ERA.
McCaughan appeared in 12 games last season with the Miami Marlins and Cleveland Guardians, going 0-0 with a 6.21 ERA. He struck out 28 batters in 42.0 innings and also registered two saves for Miami.
McCaughan was drafted by the Mariners in the 2017 draft out of Cal State Long Beach and spent much of his tenure with the M's as organizational depth in case someone in the rotation got hurt. He ended up making two appearances for the M's in 2021 and three for them in 2023. He gave up 11 earned runs in 14.0 career innings with the Mariners.
In seven minor league seasons, most of which were with Seattle, he is 39-49 with a 4.46 ERA. There's no guarantee that he latches on with the Twins at the major league-level, but there are opportunities on that roster. The team features Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober in the rotation. Simeon Woods-Richardson, Chris Paddack and Zebby Matthews are also candidates to start games, so there's fierce competition for innings.
Ford has spent parts of six years in the big leagues with the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Reds. He spent two different tenures with the Mariners, appearing for them in both 2022 and 2023. His 2023 tenure was memorable for fans because he provided some much-needed thump in that lineup.
In 83 games that year, he popped 16 homers and drove in 34 runs. He also had several key home runs late that fueled victories. That was his most successful major league season, and also represented the most games he'd played with a team in a major league season. He spent most of last season in Japan after being let go by the Reds.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
HIGH PRAISE: ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian recently had high praise for George Kirby, saying that he thinks he can be the best pitcher in all of baseball. CLICK HERE:
DON'T YA KNOW: Robinson Cano provided the only run for the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series championship win! CLICK HERE:
RECORD-BREAKING: Can the Los Angeles Dodgers break the Mariners 116-win record from 2001? Infielder Miguel Rojas thinks so. CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
