St. Paul, Minn. – It’s been a fast-moving start to the season for the Minnesota Twins’ first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Nick Gordon signed a minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on New Year’s Eve and played with them through all of spring training.
Then, after four games with Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles traded him to the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations, and he joined Triple-A Omaha, which traveled to Minnesota for a six-game stretch.
“It’s awesome, man,” said Gordon on his return to the state. “It’s awesome to see even some of the guys who were in the system when I was there, and to see them now, some of the younger guys who were behind us there. Man, it’s awesome to just see their growth, to see guys you came up with and spent so much time with, it’s always going to feel like home.”
“It’s good to see he’s still playing,” said former teammate Randy Dobnak. “He just got traded last week. Normally, when people trade for you, they see something in you, so hopefully, he gets a shot again.”
The Twins parted ways with Gordon over a year ago when they sent him to the Miami Marlins for LHP Steven Okert. After a fractured right tibia abruptly ended his Twins tenure, he could triple the number of games he played in 2023 and 2024 this season. He rehabbed with Triple-A St. Paul at the end of 2023 and got into six games before the season ended. However, the Twins finished that season 18-9 and maintained the same roster in the postseason, where they snapped their 18-game losing streak.
Gordon fared better last year than in 2023. Still, he fell short of the numbers he put up during his breakout season with the Twins in 2022, when he posted a .272/.316/.427 slash line with nine home runs and 50 RBI. Last season, Gordon had a .227/.258/.369 slash line, eight home runs, and 32 RBI in 95 games with the Marlins.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good, I can’t complain,” said Gordon. “You know, man, I just take it for what it is. Last year was last year, and I’m definitely looking forward to this year, and I’m just happy to be where I am.”
He was off to a hot start with the Norfolk Tides before the Orioles traded him, going 4-for-13 and scoring four runs over four games. Now he’s with the Omaha Storm Chasers, hoping to continue building off that hot start and find his way onto Kansas City’s big-league roster to help them return to the postseason.
“So far, it’s been great, man,” Gordon said. “Everyone here has been welcoming, even with my time in Baltimore, everyone here has been welcoming. For me, it’s been smooth transitions. It hasn’t been anything negative or hard to deal with. It’s more so been meeting new people and really just having some good times with the game.”
There are a few old teammates left on the Saints roster from Gordon’s time in the Twins organization. He faced off against one of them in the Saturday game with Dobnak on the mound for St. Paul and went 1-for-2 against him. Gordon attacked the first pitch he saw from Dobnak, lining it up the middle for a single, but did not expect it to be a sinker.
“I told him today I would throw him a first-pitch changeup,” Dobnak said. “We didn’t call first-pitch changeup, so he’s kind of mad at me. He hit it for 105 mph into centerfield, so I’m sure he’s not too mad about it. But me and Nick have been around each other for a long time, so it’s always fun to face guys like that.”
Gordon also caught up with Saints manager Toby Gardenhire, who coached him in the minors from 2021 to 2023.
“I talk to Nicky a lot, I love Nicky G,” said Gardenhire. “He’s one of my favorites. We kind of go way back, I was with him a long time ago. It was really cool seeing his career, his progression, and everything. It was cool seeing him here, and I wish nothing but the best for that guy.
Even with a few players on the Storm Chasers ahead of him on the Royals’ 40-man roster, Gordon isn’t worrying too much about when his next big-league opportunity will come. For now, all he’s doing is focusing in on what is in his control and having productive at-bats to catch the Royals front office’s attention.
“Honestly, just being myself, staying myself, playing my game, and doing the same things that got me there,” Gordon said. “Last year, I think I got a little bit away from it, just in a sense, trying to figure out who I was. But definitely getting a better understanding of not having to be anything other than myself.”
