Minnesota Twins Sign Former Nationals Reliever, Yankees Prospect Hobie Harris

The Minnesota Twins have signed relief pitcher Hobie Harris to a minor league contract, MLB Transactions Daily reported Thursday.

Should Harris make the majors, he would be in line for a $750K payday.

Harris made his long-awaited big league debut in 2023, appearing in 16 games for the Washington Nationals. The 30-year-old righty spent eight seasons in the minors before finally earning his shot.

The New York Yankees drafted Harris in the 31st round of the MLB Draft out of Pittsburgh in 2015. He remained in the Yankees' farm system until the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the minor league phase of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft.

Harris then signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers heading into 2022. Between the 2021 and 2022 minor league seasons, Harris went 9-5 with a 2.89 ERA and 16 saves in Triple-A.

The Nationals had Harris on their Opening Day roster last year, and he didn't allow a run in his first four outings of the season. After getting rocked in late April, Harris once again opened May with four straight scoreless appearances.

Harris ended the year with a 5.12 ERA and 1.759 WHIP in the majors. He only made one appearance after May 19, spending the rest of the year back down in Triple-A.

The Twins will spend the rest of the offseason and Spring Training tweaking their bullpen around up-and-coming star closer Jhoan Duran, meaning Harris could have a shot to pitch in the big leagues again. Counting all of his innings in the minor leagues, few pitchers in Minnesota's system have as much experience on the mound as Harris.