After dropping two of three in Chicago, the Tampa Bay Rays bolstered their infield depth Thursday, acquiring first baseman Mike Ford from the New York Yankees in exchange for cash considerations.
(photo: New York Yankees)
The 28-year-old was signed by the Yankees as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton in 2013, and made his big league debut in 2019, hitting .259/.350/.559 with 12 homers and 25 RBI in just 163 plate appearances.
But Ford has struggled since his rookie season. In 2021, he was hitting just .133/.278/.283 with three homers and five RBI at the major league level when he was designated for assignment Sunday.
Ford will report to the Rays Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls. In order to make room for him on the 40-man roster, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow strain, was transferred to the 60-day IL.