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Mike Ford - 1B/DH - 31 years old
The Mariners have definitely had some fun first basemen over the years. Either their personality, a hot stretch, fun nicknames, or just some good memories to associate with a player. Mike Ford fits into that grouping, as some hot play in 2023 helped the Mariners avoid another terrible season from their DH role.
Ford was streaky, struck out a lot, and put together some rough stretches. He also managed to hit 16 HR, seeming to give the Mariners just enough pop from the position to cause opponents to have to give him just a little extra thought. He did hit just .228/.323/.475, but that was still good for an OPS+ of 122.
That seems like enough for a decent team, especially since Ford succeeds in reverse splits. Normally lefties hit righties better and vice versa, but Ford has done the opposite. For his career, he is a .268/.343/.577 hitter against lefites in 97 AB with a K rate of just 21.3%. He's best suited as a DH, but grabbing Ford on a 1YR deal to spell at 1B+DH to see if he really can help against lefties seems like a move that will be made before the season kicks off.