The Reds made an announcement on Friday that Mike Ford, who plays first base and designated hitter, has been moved back to the minor league camp, indicating he won’t be part of the team’s initial roster for the Opening Day.
Ford, who had signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati, has now been released by the club, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. This makes him a free agent once again.
Ford put up impressive numbers during his limited time in spring training, seemingly making a case for himself to join Cincinnati’s roster. Despite appearing in only 10 games and having 35 plate appearances, the 31-year-old hitter managed to achieve an outstanding .
455/.486/.727 batting line, hitting three home runs, drawing a couple of walks, and striking out only three times. Although there were injuries to Matt McLain and Edwin Arroyo, along with Noelvi Marte’s 80-game PED suspension, the Reds still decided Ford wasn’t the right fit for the 26-man roster, given their crowded infield. In 2023, Ford had a notable season with the Mariners, where he showcased significant power with 16 home runs in just 251 plate appearances, alongside a .228/.323/.475 slash line.
While he maintained a decent 9.6% walk rate, his strikeout rate was quite high at 32.3%. Ford has been known for his power hitting but has struggled with consistent contact throughout his career.
Ford, a left-handed batter, hasn’t often faced left-handed pitchers, but he performed well against them in 2023, with a .268/.343/.577 line in 24 plate appearances. This is in contrast to his performance against right-handed pitchers, where he has a .200/.303/.389 line over 611 plate appearances, indicating a significant split.
With his strong performance in spring training and his impressive power numbers from the previous season, Ford is likely to attract interest from teams seeking left-handed power hitters. There’s a possibility he could secure a spot on a major league roster, although it’s more probable that he’ll sign a minor league deal with a team offering clearer opportunities for playing time at first base or designated hitter.
