Seattle Mariners trade top catching prospect Ford to acquire Nationals left-handed reliever Ferrer

The Seattle Mariners obtained the left-handed bullpen arm they sought, but the price was giving up their premier catching prospect. Following the trade, the club must still find a solution for the backup catcher position behind their primary catcher, Kyle Raleigh.

The Mariners traded Harry Ford, their 2021 first-round draft pick and the fourth-ranked prospect in their farm system, to the Washington Nationals in exchange for the hard-throwing left-handed reliever José A. Ferrer. The team hopes Ferrer will become the second lefty in their bullpen, a role they urgently need to fill. Also included in the deal was right-handed pitching prospect Isaac Lyon, who was sent to the Nationals.

Trade details

Mariners receive: Left-handed pitcher José A. Ferrer

Nationals receive: Catcher Harry Ford (4th ranked prospect), right-handed pitcher Isaac Lyon (unranked)

This trade was finalized the day before the annual MLB Winter Meetings opened in Orlando, Florida, where more transactions are expected across the baseball world.

At first glance, the Mariners’ management decision is intriguing. Ford has long been considered a key part of the team’s long-term plans, and with veteran backup catcher Mitch Garver now a free agent, Kyle Raleigh is currently the only catcher on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. However, Seattle’s willingness to part with Ford at this stage shows how highly they value Ferrer and possibly reflects confidence in filling catching depth through other means.

The 25-year-old Ferrer stepped into a larger role late last season for the Nationals after they traded Kyle Finnegan at the deadline, taking on closing duties in the ninth inning. The Dominican-born pitcher recorded 11 saves with a 4.48 ERA. While these stats are not eye-popping, underlying metrics suggest significant potential for the Mariners’ pitching coaches to develop.

According to Statcast data, Ferrer’s fastball velocity ranks above 94% of pitchers in the league, his walk rate is better than 95%, his hard-hit rate is superior to 93%, and his ground ball rate places him in the top 1% among all pitchers. These numbers represent a notable upgrade over Caleb Ferguson, the second lefty acquired from the Pirates before last season’s trade deadline to pair with Gabe Speier. Ferguson struggled late in the season and saw his postseason role diminish considerably.

After re-signing Josh Naylor to a five-year, $92.5 million contract on the free-agent market, finding another left-handed bullpen partner for Speier has been a key offseason priority for the Mariners. They are also pursuing at least one impactful infielder and possibly another right-handed reliever.

As for Ford, he had only a brief taste of the major leagues, largely because he was the third catcher on a contender team while the primary catcher, Raleigh, was having a historic season. Called up during September’s roster expansion, Ford appeared in just eight games late in the season but was included on the Mariners’ postseason rosters for the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers and the Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. In September, he collected one hit in six at-bats while with the team.

Ford was Seattle’s first-round pick in 2021, chosen as the team was emerging from rebuilding and well before Raleigh rose to become one of the league’s top catchers. He quickly won fans over with his high prospect status, but even more so for his leadership, likability, and charitable work off the field. In Washington, he will have greater opportunities for growth and more playing time.