Rays have already expressed interest in Harry Ford

The Rays have already expressed interest in the Mariners landing prospects Harry Fordaccording to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. There is no indication that Tampa’s interest in the youngster is current or that trade talks are underway between the two clubs.

Ford, 22 in February, was Seattle’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft and is a consensus top-50 prospect in the game. He has hit well at every level of the minors he has been exposed to since starting his pro career with a .291/.400/.582 slash line in 19 games with rookie ball shortly after to have been chosen. He made the leap to the full season in 2022 and found success there as well, slashing .274/.425/.438 at the Single-A level in 2023 before posting a nearly identical .257/.410/ slash line. 430 at the High-A level the following year. During both of his stops in A-ball, Ford had walk rates fluctuate north of 17% while displaying homer power of 10 to 15. Most interestingly, he sported some pretty impressive wheels for a catcher and showed a 25-steal rate on the base paths.

The youngster hit his first real hurdle in 2024 when he reached the Double-A level. In his age-21 season last year, Ford hit a solid but unspectacular .249/.377/.367 , which was good for a 119 WRC+ at that level. Ford’s 14.1% walk rate remained impressive and he reached new heights on the bases with 35 steals, but his power plummeted as he crushed just seven homers in 523 trips to the plate. However, even that relative down season was still significantly above average for his league, and that feat is even more impressive given that Ford was one of only five qualifying hitters in the Double-A Texas League who played the season 2024 at age 21 or younger.

While Ford’s bat is generally very well regarded, there are some questions about whether or not it can stick behind the plate. Ford’s athleticism has drawn much praise, but he is currently a well-below-average defender behind the base, leading some to suggest he could follow in the footsteps of Daulton Varshowho was also an athletic, speedy prospect in the minor leagues, but moved to the outfield early in his big league career. For now, however, the Mariners appear poised to continue developing his skills behind the plate.

Given the Rays’ interest in Ford, it seems likely they also believe in his ability to stick behind the plate. Tampa’s needs behind the plate heading into the offseason were well known as they not only lacked a clear complement Ben Rortvedt at the big league level for 2025, but have no major prospects currently on the way. A look at MLB.com’s list of the top 30 Rays prospects reveals just two things of interest: Capturing converts Dominic Keegan he ranks 13th, while he is 19 years old JD González is ranked 27th despite hitting just .161/.268/.198 in his first taste of stateside baseball last season.

Finding a deal for Ford would do little to improve the club’s short-term catching situation, as he hasn’t reached the Triple-A level yet and is still considered very raw defensively. That said, the Rays have already addressed their immediate catcher need by signing Danny Jansen to a one-year deal, putting him ahead of Rortvedt in the club’s catching tandem. That leaves the club fairly stagnant for 2025, but those questions will arise once again when Jansen leaves for free agency in a year. Adding a hot prospect like Ford, who is about a year away from the majors, would make sense for the Rays, therefore, allowing Jansen to serve as a bridge to the future of the position this year.

While Ford still makes sense as a potential trade target for the Rays, however, it’s fair to wonder how likely a deal is to be reached even if Tampa remains interested in the young catcher. The Mariners are well known to be looking for infield help this winter, having previously spoken to the Cubs and Phillies about Nico Hoerner AND Alec Bohm. Those talks don’t appear to have gained much traction, which makes the pivot to a Rays infield similar Yandy Diaz OR Brandon Lowe at least theoretically feasible for Seattle.

That said, Diaz and Lowe figure as key cogs in a Rays lineup that struggled to create runs last year, and with no apparent need to further cut payroll after dealing Jeffrey Springs for the A’s it is unclear whether either player will be available this winter. Perhaps a deal could be worked out involving a less established infielder like the Rays Jonathan Aranda, Curtis MeadOR Osleivis Basabebut it’s unclear whether the Mariners would be interested in adding a youngster of that variety or if they were more focused on established players with a big league track record.