Slugger Mike Ford has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
Mike Ford to the Reds on a minor league deal. $1.3M salary in majors, and another 125K in incentives. Spring training and other opts outs included.
The well-traveled Ford has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels.
He was most accomplished with Seattle, who gave him an extended run at designated hitter last season. With the M's in 2023, Ford played 83 games, popping 16 homers and bringing in 34. He also ran a .323 on-base percentage.
Lifetime, he's a .211 hitter with 36 homers.
He's not the only veteran that the Reds brought in on Friday as they also signed versatile infielder Tony Kemp to a minor league deal.
It's unclear just how realistic the chance is for Ford to make the Reds roster, but if he does, he'll join a team that is certainly one of the most interesting in all of baseball in 2024. The Reds have one of the best young nuclei in the entire sport with Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Jonathan India, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. They also signed Jeimer Candelario this offseason.
Cincinnati went 82-80 last year and finished third in the National League Central. They haven't made the playoffs since the COVID-shortened 2020 season and are looking to change that this season.
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