Harry Ford joining Mariners' expanded roster proves they're done messing around

The Seattle Mariners have revealed their expanded roster for September, and you could practically hear the cheers coming from the Pacific Northwest as fans caught wind of the headliner: Harry Ford.

Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 4 prospect in Seattle's farm system — not to mention the No. 40 prospect in all of MLB — Ford is among three newcomers to the Mariners, who also cut a couple players as rosters expanded from 26 to 28 on Monday:

It's a small miracle that Ford was still there for the Mariners to call up, as he had been seen as an obvious trade candidate ahead of the July 31 deadline. Yet as much as moving him would have been justified, the alternative of getting to watch him in action for the Mariners is much more intriguing.

Harry Ford is here to give the Mariners a better backup for Cal Raleigh

While we know that Ford is officially on the roster, what we don't know as of now is how Dan Wilson plans to use him for the team's last 25 games.

Ford is a catcher by trade, yet he won't be starting behind the plate unless (so sorry if this proves to be a jinx) something happens to 50-homer slugger Cal Raleigh. Ford's best hope of seeing action is if Wilson uses him as Raleigh's primary backup, a job currently held by Mitch Garver.

If so, nobody will weep at seeing Garver with a reduced role. He has been a bust in two seasons as a Mariner, posting a .636 OPS and 0.1 rWAR in 186 games.

The 22-year-old Ford (whose full first name really is Harrison) began this year with questions of his own to answer. Everyone knew he had outstanding plate discipline, but a trying 2024 season with Double-A Arkansas opened him up to concerns about his power and defensive acumen.

He responded exactly as the Mariners hoped he would after getting the bump to Triple-A Tacoma. His caught-stealing rate improved from 19 to 23 percent, and he added nearly 100 points to his slugging percentage. Particularly after a slow start, he became a regular highlight reel for the Rainiers.

Even if Ford doesn't get regular playing time over Garver, he can still make an impact as an option off the bench for Wilson. He'll offer an ability to get on base as a pinch-hitter, and his 60-grade speed makes him a much better pinch-running option than most catchers.

Either way, he figures to be a shot in the arm for an offensive mix that unexpectedly stagnated in August. It's as if the Mariners have determined that their bats offer their best hope of catching the Houston Astros in the AL West or holding onto the third wild card, in which case it's hard to blame them.

Other takeaways from the Mariners' new-look roster

The Mariners only just signed Luke Jackson last week, and his three appearances for Tacoma saw him get lit up for a 7.71 ERA. He is an experienced reliever with an ability to miss bats, however, and the Mariners don't have much to lose in giving him a shot.

Leo Rivas was solid as a utility infielder for Wilson earlier in the season, getting on base at a .411 clip in 30 games. He subsequently posted a .475 OBP in Tacoma, so he's basically a lottery ticket as a potential on-base machine who's ready for action in the middle of the infield.

Sauryn Lao is a converted position player who still has some kinks to work out as a pitcher. Donovan Solano, meanwhile, was an underwhelming offseason signee who could never quite save face once the season got going. His Mariners tenure ends with a .252 average and .639 OPS in 69 games.

It bears noting that because Victor Robles is serving a seven-game suspension, the Mariners will be playing with 27 men until he returns on September 6.