It felt like it was trending this way for a little while, but Harry Ford was officially optioned to Triple-A this afternoon. Paul Toboni acquired Ford in a trade that sent Jose A. Ferrer this offseason. At first, I thought Ford would have a good chance of cracking the Opening Day roster. However, as camp progressed, it was clear the new regime wanted to give Keibert Ruiz another chance.
That is an understandable decision, especially considering the service time ramifications for Ford. However, I cannot say I am fired up about a Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas catching tandem. The Nats had the worst catching situation in baseball last season, yet they still did not give Ford a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Yes, we will see plenty of Harry Ford this season, but I am still bummed out that he did not make the Opening Day roster. I really hope Ruiz’s contract doesn’t give him a longer leash than he deserves. While Ruiz showed promise in 2022 and 2023, the last two seasons have been disastrous for the Venezuelan catcher. As a bat first catcher, he has posted a .619 and .595 OPS the last two seasons.
His contract which runs through the 2030 season and a solid spring have given Ruiz another shot behind the plate. However, his leash is going to be shorter this time. With Ford in the fold, he has real competition for the first time in DC. Hopefully, he can rise to the challenge, but I have my doubts. Ruiz has serious flaws on both sides of the ball which have persisted for years.
Ford is far from a perfect player himself, but he would provide new blood. He also represents a big investment from Paul Toboni. Ford had solid WBC and an up and down spring, but he showed why the Nats got him. He walked a lot this spring, which is a big part of his game. Ford also showed off some power for Great Britain at the WBC.
I do not think sending Ford down is an irrational decision by any means, it is just a bit of a bummer. Fans were excited to see him, and now they are going to have to wait a little longer. Ford already has a strong track record in AAA with a .283 average and .868 OPS at the level last year.
However, the new regime clearly thinks he needs more seasoning. I would not be surprised if a big reason for the demotion is to work on his defense. While Ford has steadily improved on that side of the ball, there is still more work to be done.
Another reason for this demotion could be service time related. If teams keep a player in the minors long enough, they can gain an extra year of team control. That deadline usually comes sometime in mid to late April, so it would not be a surprise to see Ford called up around then.
I cannot say I am excited about this decision, but it is understandable. Keibert Ruiz has looked better this spring, but he still has a lot to prove before he can regain faith from the fanbase. Hopefully we see Harry Ford sooner rather than later.
