SF Giants alum concludes playing career, shifts to front office role with the Rays

Mike Ford only played one game with the SF Giants, but it was during a quirky time. According to Kristie Ackert of The Associated Press, the six-year veteran has shifted to a front office role with the Tampa Bay Rays.

SF Giants alum concludes playing career, shifts to front office role with the Rays

Ford’s official title with the Rays has not yet been determined, but he told Ackert that he will be working with minor leaguers.

It was a quirky time with the Giants because every morning you would make a cup of coffee, look at the prior day’s box score, and see if the Giants made any trades with the Seattle Mariners.

It was early in the 2022 season. The roster rules were a little different due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the strike-shortened preseason. It was an environment that was ripe for roster moves, and the Giants used that added flexibility.

In the first two months of the 2022 season, the Giants and Mariners completed four transactions. No need to do the research, I will fill in the blanks. Mike Ford, Stuart Fairchild, Kevin Padlo, and Donovan Walton switched organizations through trades and waiver claims between the two teams.

Before the end of the year, they would complete a few more trades. The most notable move was when the Giants shipped Curt Casali and Matthew Boyd to the Seattle at the 2022 trade deadline.

Ford only appeared in one game with the Giants that year. He had played primarily first base throughout his career, but had some experience at third base in the minors. This was at the time when if a player had any experience at a position, the Giants were going to lean on that.

Ford took some ground balls at third base prior to his lone game with San Francisco. He tallied one hit with two RBI in four at-bats  in a 11-5 loss to the Washington Nationals. 

Ford, who was originally acquired as a waiver claim from the Mariners, was designated for assignment. He went on to be traded to… the Mariners. I told you it was a quirky time.

The left-handed hitter was a reliable bat throughout his major league career. His best year came in 2023 with the Mariners, where he posted a .798 OPS with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in 251 plate appearances. He also played with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Cincinnati Reds.