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On Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Minnesota Twins have signed 1B/DH Mike Ford to a minor-league contract, which includes an invite to spring training. While this could hardly be considered a big splash, it's a significant move for the Twins given their clear need at first, their lack of resources for additions, and Ford's fairly extensive track record as a big-leaguer.
Ford is going to be a contender for a roster spot and maybe even a part-time starting role. So let's get familiar.
Mike Ford's Baseball Background
Ford's baseball journey is a fascinating mix of perseverance, adaptability, and flashes of power that could make him an intriguing option for the Twins as they face uncertainty at first base and limited avenues for talent acquisition.
An undrafted free agent out of Princeton University in 2012, the New Jersey native carved out a professional career through sheer determination, debuting with the Yankees in 2019. Known for his ability to work deep counts and his surprising pop, Ford’s early MLB tenure showed promise, including a .909 OPS and 12 home runs in his rookie season. However, he’s since been a journeyman, suiting up for seven MLB teams, a stint in Japan’s NPB, and a wealth of minor league affiliates. While he was obviously not in high demand this offseason, his 2023 resurgence with Seattle — hitting 16 homers with a .798 OPS over 83 games — suggests Ford could still have value as a left-handed power bat.
Ford's Fit in Minnesota
For the Twins, Ford represents a potential low-cost option with upside. Minnesota's first base situation is murky, with José Miranda, Edouard Julien and Mickey Gasper currently lined up as the top options. The free-agent market has been picked over and the front office has minimal budget space to work with anyway.
Interestingly, the lefty-swinging Ford has a pretty extreme reverse platoon split in his MLB career, with a .674 OPS in 655 PA against righties and a .831 OPS in 126 PA against southpaws. That's a small sample and spread across a bunch of different stints, so it's not necessarily too meaningful, but it's worth pointing out.
If we assume those splits will straighten out a bit, Ford could be viewed as as a solid part-time platoon partner at first alongside Miranda, at least until Julien earns his way back, though Miranda too has performed better against same-sided pitchers in a relatively small MLB sample.
Ford's defensive metrics are pedestrian and he's about as slow as they come, so his bat would be the main draw. And there is some intrigue in his offensive profile. While prone to strikeouts, he is a fairly disciplined hitter and he's got a big pull-side power, which we know the Twins love. Glancing at his Statcast sliders and spray chart from 2023, we see a guy who was successful at avoiding chases, squared up when he made contact, and yanked a bunch of balls into the right field bleachers.
His minor-league deal means the Twins didn't need to commit a 40-man roster spot to Ford, and he's far from being guaranteed anything, but the well-traveled 32-year-old instantly becomes one to watch in the first base competition.
It's possible the Twins could still sign someone like Justin Turner (if they find payroll space) or make a trade, but increasingly it appears they are going to carry a collection of low-profile stopgap options into camp — such as Ford and Gasper — with an eye on letting them take over temporarily in the event that Miranda and Julien prove unready.
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