January 21, 2026 5:48 PM PST
The Reds announced Friday that first baseman/designated hitter was rea signed to minor league camp, indicating he wont make the teams Opening Day roster. Ford, whod signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati now granted Ford his release from the club, Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hes once again a free agent. Ford couldnt have done much more with his limited time Alex Verdugo Jersey this spring to earn his way onto Cincinnatis roster. The 31-year-old slugger appeared in 10 games and tallied 35 plate appearances, during which he posted a torrid .455/.486/.727 slash with three home runs, a pair of walks and just three punchouts. He was always something of a long shot to make the roster given the Reds crowded infield, but it seems that even with injuries to and , plus an 80-game PED suspension for , the Reds dont feel hes a good fit on the 26-man roster. In 2023, Ford posted huge power numbers with the Mariners, slashing .228/.323/.475 with 16 homers in just 251 trips to the plate. He coupled that thump with an above-average 9.6% walk rate but an unsightly 32.3% strikeout rate. The former Yankee farmhand has long had plus power and questionable contact rates, so the 2023 season wasnt out of the norm. However, last season also represented Fords longest and most productive stretch in the big leagues. Hed never reached even 200 plate appearances in a major league season prior. The left-handed-hitting Ford hasnt been allowed to face lefties much in his career but torched them in 24 plate appearances last year and has actually fared better against fellow southpaws in his career at large. Its only 108 plate appearances, but hes a .268/.343/.577 hitter versus lefties compared to .200/.303/.389 against righties (in a much larger sample of 611 plate appearances). Fords big spring showing and huge power output in 23 should allow him to catch on with a club looking for some left-handed pop. Theres a chance he could even land on a big league roster, though a minor league deal on a team with a clearer path to first base/designated hitter at-bats is a bit likelier. Everson Pereira Jersey
The Reds announced Friday that first baseman/designated hitter was rea signed to minor league camp, indicating he wont make the teams Opening Day roster. Ford, whod signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati now granted Ford his release from the club, Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hes once again a free agent. Ford couldnt have done much more with his limited time Alex Verdugo Jersey this spring to earn his way onto Cincinnatis roster. The 31-year-old slugger appeared in 10 games and tallied 35 plate appearances, during which he posted a torrid .455/.486/.727 slash with three home runs, a pair of walks and just three punchouts. He was always something of a long shot to make the roster given the Reds crowded infield, but it seems that even with injuries to and , plus an 80-game PED suspension for , the Reds dont feel hes a good fit on the 26-man roster. In 2023, Ford posted huge power numbers with the Mariners, slashing .228/.323/.475 with 16 homers in just 251 trips to the plate. He coupled that thump with an above-average 9.6% walk rate but an unsightly 32.3% strikeout rate. The former Yankee farmhand has long had plus power and questionable contact rates, so the 2023 season wasnt out of the norm. However, last season also represented Fords longest and most productive stretch in the big leagues. Hed never reached even 200 plate appearances in a major league season prior. The left-handed-hitting Ford hasnt been allowed to face lefties much in his career but torched them in 24 plate appearances last year and has actually fared better against fellow southpaws in his career at large. Its only 108 plate appearances, but hes a .268/.343/.577 hitter versus lefties compared to .200/.303/.389 against righties (in a much larger sample of 611 plate appearances). Fords big spring showing and huge power output in 23 should allow him to catch on with a club looking for some left-handed pop. Theres a chance he could even land on a big league roster, though a minor league deal on a team with a clearer path to first base/designated hitter at-bats is a bit likelier. Everson Pereira Jersey