ORLANDO, Fla. — The Mariners wrapped up the 2017 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings on Thursday morning by selecting left-handed hitting first baseman Mike Ford of the Yankees’ minor league system in the Rule 5 draft.
Ford, 25, split the season between Class AA Trenton and Class AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre, hitting .270 (116 for 429) with a .404 on-base percentage, a .471 slugging percentage, 24 doubles, a triple, 20 home runs and 86 RBI in 126 games. Ford walked more times (94) than he struck out (72). He was named to the Eastern League midseason All-star team while playing for Trenton and also was named a Yankees organization All-Star by MiLB.