The Nationals have agreed to a 1-year major league deal with utilityman Josh Harrison. Third string catcher Raudy Read has been optioned in order to make room for him on the 30-man roster, and he was in uniform immediately for the team’s series opener against the Blue Jays on Monday. Harrison will be a welcome addition to a Nationals team still looking to replace Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Angels over the off season, Juan Soto, who is out due to COVID-19, and Carter Kieboom, who has been limited recently with a groin injury.
On his career, Harrison is a .273/.313/.401 hitter with 53 homers and 277 RBIs. Defensively, he has played time at second, third, short, and both corner outfield positions, which should add some flexibility to the Nationals’ roster. While Harrison struggled a bit last year with the Tigers, he had a 4 year stretch from 2014-2017 where he produced 12.8 WAR.
Harrison played the first eight years of his career in Pittsburgh, making two all-star teams before a brief stint with the Tigers in 2019. He was released by the Phillies just last Tuesday after signing with them this offseason. After being released by the Phillies, Harrison and his family drove from Philadelphia to Cincinnati in the middle of the night last Thursday. Just before they arrived, he received a call from his agent with the offer from the Nationals, which he immediately accepted. Early Friday morning, Harrison got back in the car by himself and drove to Washington to finalize his contract.
Featured Photo: Wikimedia Commons
