Former Yankees .723 OPS power hitter lands front office job with Rays

Former Yankees .723 OPS power hitter lands front office job with Rays originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling used to say, "For the Yankees, there's a Ford in your future! Mike is Ford tough!"

That was Sterling's home run call for former Yankees first baseman Mike Ford, who became a fan favorite in the Bronx during parts of three seasons with the AL East club from 2019-21.

Ford, who played for six organizations during a six-year Major League career, has landed a new gig in professional baseball after spending a few years overseas with Nippon Professional Baseball's Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

According to Kristie Ackert, the Tampa Bay Rays have hired Ford in a front office role, and he will also assist minor league players. The Yankees traded the left-handed slugger to the Rays in 2021 for cash considerations and a player to be named later, but he did not make a Major League appearance for the club.

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Ford signed with New York as an undrafted free agent from Princeton University in 2012. He did not make his big league debut until 2019. That season, he managed a career high 12 home runs with a .259/.350/.559 slash line and .909 OPS in 163 trips to the plate.

His last MLB stint came with the Cincinnati Reds in 2024, and he played for four different organizations during the 2022 season.

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