John Andreoli focuses on power game amid whirlwind journey

John Andreoli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) celebrates his first career grand slam May 12. (Bare Antolos/Rochester Red Wings)

After seven years in the Chicago Cubs organization that drafted him, John Andreoli has, as Johnny Cash might say, “been everywhere, man.”

Entering the 2018 season, the Shrewsbury, Mass., native and UConn product found himself a free agent for the first time in his professional career. He signed with the Seattle Mariners, with whom he would receive his first taste of big-league action, earning callups to the big club on three occasions, playing in three games, including his MLB debut May 23 vs. Oakland.

The Mariners designated the speedy outfielder for assignment in mid-August, but Baltimore swooped in to claim him, keeping him on their big-league season, providing him an opportunity to appear in 23 more games in The Show.

Then came an offseason whirlwind — claimed off waivers by Seattle in October, DFA’d in January and claimed by Texas, DFA’d again two weeks later and claimed by San Francisco, which had Andreoli in as a non-roster invite at spring training before trading him to Minnesota near the end of March.