The Los Angeles Angels provided a stop for Mike Ford on his carousel of Major League Baseball teams this past season, playing for four different clubs, and he would go on to play 28 games as an Angel, his longest tenure with any team in the bigs last year.
Ford signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of Princeton University, but a slow rise through the Minor League system, and being blocked by many mainstays on the Big League roster made it difficult for him to get the call-up.
After two subpar seasons in 2020 and 2021, Ford was designated for assignment twice and claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays, then the Washington Nationals. He signed with the Seattle Mariners to begin the 2022 season, then made stops in San Francisco, and Atlanta, eventually landing with the Angels, who were in need of some help at first base.
In 99 at-bats for the Angels, Ford logged a .231 batting average and a wRC+ of 89. He wasn’t spectacular but was serviceable in a spot where general manager Perry Minasian needed any production.
He spent the bulk of his season with the Angels before they designated him for assignment on Sept. 28, outrighting him to their Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees. Ford would ultimately decline the option and elect free agency.
Mike Ford 2022 highlight
In a three-game set against his former club, the Yankees, Ford slugged a pair of impactful and dramatic home runs. They were his first two long balls of the season up to that point. He would go on to record multi-hit games from Aug. 29-Aug. 30.
2023 outlook
Ford is a journeyman left-handed corner infielder who has a little pop in his bat. Luckily for him, he was signed on by the Mariners for his third stint with the franchise on January 9 to a Minor League contract. He was assigned to the Tacoma Rainiers, their Triple-A club.
He will serve as organizational depth for the Mariners and provide a veteran presence in their Minor League level.
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