Josh Harrison has been in the big leagues before, having played for a few different teams.
But he’s finally returning home.
The seasoned utility player and former Detroit Tiger signed a minor league contract with his hometown Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Harrison played shortstop at Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio, then collegiate baseball at the University of Cincinnati from 2006 to 2008. Harrison, 36, is a two-time All-Star who is coming off a 2023 season in which he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies but was dismissed in August before finishing the season on a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.
The 13-year journeyman blossomed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, making two All-Star selections in 2014 and 2017. Perhaps his best season as a pro was in 2014, when he hit.315 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 18 stolen bases, 38 doubles, and an.837 OPS, finishing seventh in the National League MVP race.Harrison signed a one-year contract with the Tigers in February 2019, but he struggled in 31 games, batting.176, and was released in August of the same year.
However, Harrison has a career.270 hitter with 73 total home runs and nearly 400 RBI — something that may energize a young Reds infield.
Harrison will join the Reds for the eighth time in his major league and minor league career, having previously played for the Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
