The Rays have acquired left-handed hitting first baseman Mike Ford from the New York Yankees.
Ford has big league experience, having made his Major League debut during the 2019 campaign. A power bat, Ford has since struggled in his limited opportunities with the Yankees between 2020 and 2021, batting around .130 on average with only 5 home runs in about as many opportunities as his breakout season.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 draft, Ford slowly worked his way through the Yankees system, and was notably selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 2017 Rule 5 draft, although he was returned to the Yankees in spring training.