The first baseman had spent seven years and 572 games in the Yankees’ minor league system before finally getting a major league promotion.
Ford mashed 11 dingers over the final two months of the season, giving the Yankees some hope that he could be an impact, left-handed bat moving froward, if only in a limited role.
Ford has hardly been productive since 2019, which is why the team designated him for assignment on Saturday.
Ford, 29, will report to the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate in Durham after nearly a decade of knowing nothing but the Yankees organization.
While he didn’t make the most of the at-bats he saw in the Bronx, his big-league career is still a collection of small sample sizes that have not been helped by inconsistent playing time.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have been taking a look at Chris Gittens, another first baseman who had to spend years in the minors before getting called up.