Nationals Skipper Gives Some Insight Into Team's Decision to Option Harry Ford
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With Opening Day one week away at the time of writing, the Washington Nationals have started to shrink their roster options by sending players down to Triple-A Rochester or reassigning them to minor league camp.
One of the biggest shockers was the decision to start Harry Ford in Triple-A this year after they acquired him as a headlining addition of the offseason. It seemed like he was in the running to potentially start depending on how things went throughout spring training. However, the Nationals decided it would be best for him to get everyday reps in the minors to start out 2026.
Manager Blake Butera gave some insight into Washington's thought process surrounding this whole situation, including why the organization went down this route and if Ford can do anything to be part of the major league roster at any point this year.
Nationals Want Him to Get More Seasoned as a Catcher
Defense has always been the question mark when it comes to Ford. His hit tool is incredible, and it's why he's been a star prospect ever since he was taken 12th overall in the 2021 draft. But his actual ability to be an all-around catcher is what has yet to be determined.
And because of that, the Nationals want to give him more reps behind the plate on an everyday basis. Per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, Ford has been tasked with learning the Triple-A pitching staff to help elevate their performance by calling good games.
"Understanding how the pitchers feel throwing to him, that's a big part of the catching game, obviously. Making sure that our pitchers in Triple-A are having success with Harry catching. Then also understanding that the blocking's good, the receiving numbers are good, and then you see the offense, hopefully he continues to do what he's done in his career so far. Those are the big ticket items," stated Butera.
Blake Butera Reveals if They Might Call Up Harry Ford This Season
That quote from the skipper makes it seem like it could be a while before the team is comfortable calling up the 23-year-old to be part of their major league roster. However, he further explained that the door is not closed on Ford playing his way into the equation this season.
"We told him, 'There is no timetable of, like, you have to stay down there for X amount of days. No, you go down there and you dominate and you force our hand, we will make sure you're up there with us,'" Butera added.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what actually happens regarding Ford during his time in the minors and how soon Washington might be willing to depart from their initial plan. A lot of that could depend on how the tandem of Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas do to start the year, as struggles by both of them might cause some major changes to take place. But overall, it seems like Ford is in a "prove it" category as they want to see him develop more.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai