Speaking on MLB Network on Wednesday afternoon, the Mariners general manager discussed the move last week, which ended Ford's time in the organization.
Speaking on Wednesday morning at the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla., Seattle Mariners general manager Justin Hollander spoke about the team's recent trade, which sent top prospect Harry Ford to the Washington Nationals for left-handed reliever Jose Ferrer.
Paraphrasing: Hollander said it was tough to trade Ford, a player they drafted in the first round in 2021 and really believe in. He also added that Ford is a "unique" talent behind the plate. Furthermore, he cited that Ford's pathway for development with the Mariners was blocked by Cal Raleigh, who Hollander said "probably should have won" the MVP Award in 2025.
Hollander then pivoted to Ferrer, who he said the team absolutely loves as an impact bullpen arm for the now - and for the future.
About Ford
Drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft out of the Virginia high school ranks, he made a brief cameo in the big leagues in 2025, appearing in a handful of games in September. Now 22 years old, he hit .283 at Triple-A Tacoma with 16 homers and 74 RBIs. Athletic, he stole 35 bases at Double-A Arkansas in 2024, but had just six in 2025.
He'll get an opportunity to play with the Nationals, who also have Keibert Ruiz on the 26-man roster.
About Ferrer
A left-handed reliever who is just 25 years old, Ferrer is under team control through 2029. He made 72 appearances for Washington last season and will pair with Gabe Speier to make up a solid tandem of left-handed pitchers in the Seattle bullpen. He struck out 71 batters in 76.1 innings last season, and could have even more in the tank after working with Seattle's pitching development team.
We recently spoke about this move, and Ferrer's upside, on the Refuse to Lose podcast.
Up next for the Mariners
The Mariners will finish up the winter meetings on Wednesday before returning back to Seattle on Thursday. Seattle continues to work on re-signing Jorge Polanco, but there are some hang-ups on the financial side of things. If no deals get done in Orlando, there is a chance they could get done in the two weeks up until the Christmas holiday.
If nothing happens by then, things will probably stall until early January.
The Mariners will be back at spring training in Peoria, Ariz. in mid-February, with the first Cactus League game slated for Feb. 20. We will have live on-site coverage from spring training, so stay tuned for information on that.
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