Rangers sign two-time All-Star to minor league contract

The Rangers have signed veteran utilityman Josh Harrison to a minor league contract, per an announcement from his agents at MSM Sports. He’ll head to Triple-A Round Rock and primarily work as a third baseman and second baseman there.

Harrison, a veteran of 13 big league seasons, opened the year in Philadelphia but was designated for assignment and released earlier this month after batting .204/.263/.291 in 114 plate appearances. It was a rough showing, to be sure, but it also came in a relatively small sample. In the three seasons prior, Harrison combined for a .270/.332/.390 batting line over the life of 1074 plate appearances between the Nats, A’s and White Sox. That 2020-22 production falls neatly in line with Harrison’s career .270/.316/.396 batting line in 4347 trips to the plate.

Now 36 years old, Harrison is a two-time All-Star who’s well versed at a number of spots on the diamond. Second base has been his most frequent position (5081 big league innings), but he’s also spent ample time at third base (2331 innings), in right field (493 innings), in left field (487 innings) and at shortstop (265 innings) in addition to brief cameos at first base and in center field. Defensive metrics have generally viewed his glovework at second base and the hot corner quite favorably.

Harrison isn’t likely to suddenly recapture his peak form — he hit .315/.347/.390 back in 2014 — but he’s a capable, versatile defender who still makes contact at an above-average rate. The Rangers recently lost Rookie of the Year candidate Josh Jung to thumb surgery that puts the remainder his season in jeopardy, and while fellow youngster Ezequiel Duran gives them a quality substitute, Harrison can provide additional depth in the event of further injuries on the big league roster.

The Phillies are on the hook for what’s left of Harrison’s $2M salary anyhow, so the Rangers would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. If the Rangers want to add a veteran for the final month of the season, they can select Harrison to the big league roster on Sept. 1, when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players. Because he’s joining the organization before Sept. 1, he’d be postseason-eligible as well — if he performs well enough in his new environs to warrant such consideration.