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The Reds introduced Friday that first baseman/designated hitter Mike Ford was reassigned to minor league camp, indicating he received’t make the crew’s Opening Day roster. Ford, who’d signed a minor league cope with Cincinnati, has now granted Ford his launch from the membership, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Put up. He’s as soon as once more a free agent.
Ford couldn’t have carried out rather more along with his restricted time this spring to earn his manner onto Cincinnati’s roster. The 31-year-old slugger appeared in 10 video games and tallied 35 plate appearances, throughout which he posted a torrid .455/.486/.727 slash with three dwelling runs, a pair of walks and simply three punchouts. He was at all times one thing of a protracted shot to make the roster given the Reds’ crowded infield, however evidently even with accidents to Matt McLain and Edwin Arroyo, plus an 80-game PED suspension for Noelvi Marte, the Reds don’t really feel he’s an excellent match on the 26-man roster.
In 2023, Ford posted enormous energy numbers with the Mariners, slashing .228/.323/.475 with 16 homers in simply 251 journeys to the plate. He coupled that thump with an above-average 9.6% stroll price however an ugly 32.3% strikeout price. The previous Yankee farmhand has lengthy had plus energy and questionable contact charges, so the 2023 season wasn’t out of the norm. Nevertheless, final season additionally represented Ford’s longest and best stretch within the large leagues. He’d by no means even reached 200 plate appearances in a serious league season.
The left-handed-hitting Ford hasn’t been allowed to face lefties a lot in his profession however torched them in 24 plate appearances final 12 months and has fared higher in opposition to fellow southpaws. It’s solely 108 plate appearances, however he’s a .268/.343/.577 hitter versus lefties in comparison with .200/.303/.389 in opposition to righties (in a a lot bigger pattern of 611 plate appearances).
Ford’s large spring displaying and big energy output in ’23 ought to permit him to catch on with a membership in search of some left-handed pop. There’s an opportunity he might even land on a giant league roster, although a minor league deal on a crew with a clearer path to first base/designated hitter at-bats is a bit likelier.
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