The New York Yankees desperately need more infield support after losing Oswald Peraza for several weeks and DJ LeMahieu’s availability in question for opening day.
LeMahieu has been doing some light jogging and is trying to rehabilitate as fast as possible, but the Yankees should be considering another infielder regardless, and there’s one slugger who was recently cut by the Cincinnati Reds who could make perfect sense.
At 31 years old, former Yankee Mike Ford is coming off a phenomenal 10-game spring training with Cincinnati. He hit .455/.486/.727, including three homers and eight RBIs, with an 8.6% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. Ford has certainly had his ups and downs, but he’s always been known for his ability to hit home runs, and the Yankees would love to have that.
He spent the first three years of his career with the Bombers but only hit a combined 17 homers before the 2022 season, when he played for four different teams before landing with Seattle in 2023. Last year, Ford played in 84 games, hitting 16 homers with a 123 wRC+, indicating he was 23% better than the average MLB hitter.
Ford doesn’t have the versatility to play multiple infield positions but can help supplement any loss at first base. The Yankees certainly remain cautious with Anthony Rizzo, who was scratched from Friday’s game with a lat issue. It is not supposed to be anything serious, but the Yankees are proceeding with caution regarding their veterans, especially with Gerrit Cole already down and LeMahieu suffering another foot injury.
If the Yankees don’t feel as though they need a versatile piece in the infield, Ford would cost them next to nothing, and he had a red hot spring, so the very least he can be Rizzo’s primary reserve and would be easy to move on if they want to go in a different direction.
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