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Washington Nationals: Josh Harrison hasn’t aged well, should remain jobless

By James Simmons

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 03: Josh Harrison #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws the ball to first base during summer workouts at Citizens Bank Park on July 3, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 03: Josh Harrison #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws the ball to first base during summer workouts at Citizens Bank Park on July 3, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Nationals have been looking through the scrap heap and may have signed a veteran middle infielder, by the name of Josh Harrison.

There is a reason Josh Harrison is without a team. Well, actually several reasons. Two being he’s old and he’s washed up as a ballplayer.

These two aspects seem to be of no worry to the Washington Nationals as they are close to signing the veteran infielder to a contract.

Harrison, who most recently was in camp with the Philadelphia Phillies, was once an All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit .315 in 2014 earning a trip to the Mid-Summer Classic, and smacked a career high 16 long balls in a second All-Star campaign in 2017.

His best days are behind him.

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Not one to hit for power, Harrison has failed to hit for an average of late as well. He sank to .250 in 2018 and the Pirates cut ties with him after eight seasons at the big league level. The Detroit Tigers brought him in and he proceeded to hit .175 in his limited time there.

Don’t get this twisted, I’m all for the Nationals signing veteran players. I was thrilled when they brought back Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera, both of which are older than the 33-year old Harrison.

Harrison is a stretch, though. The Nats already have a veteran, vagabond infielder on the roster in Emilio Bonifacio. If they felt they needed to add another player, an outfielder should have been added to the mix.

With the news that Juan Soto will be out after testing positive for COVID-19 the Nats outfield is short star-power, if not stability. After Adam Eaton, the four other names on the roster are either untested or lack a proven track record in the majors (Bonifacio is listed as an outfielder, though has played more in the infield over the course of his career).

Rather than kicking the tires on Josh Harrison, how about bringing in a name-brand player to help the outfield.

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I don’t question General Manager Mike Rizzo very often, but unless this move is strictly depth related, I’m scratching my head.

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