Josh Harrison has opted out of his minor league deal with the Rangers, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Teams usually have 48 to 72 hours after an opt-out clause is triggered to decide whether or not to add a player to their roster. The specifics are unclear in this case, but it’s possible Harrison will become a free agent in the coming days, if he isn’t one already.
Harrison, now 36, signed a one-year, $2M deal with the Phillies this winter. They were hoping to utilize him as a reliable veteran utility player who could slot in at multiple positions. While he did play some second base, third base and the outfield corners, he hit just .204/.263/.291 and was released in early August. He then landed with the Rangers on a minor league deal and has been with Triple-A Round Rock in recent days, hitting .222/.323/.370 in six games there.
It hasn’t been a tremendous year at the plate for Harrison but he has a longer track record there. He has a career batting line of .270/.316/.396 in 1,209 career games, a line that translates to a wRC+ of 95. For a guy who can bounce around to various spots on the diamond, that’s been serviceable production. He’s spent the majority of his career at second base or third base but has also spent time in all three outfield spots, along with limited action at shortstop, first base and even on the mound.
As mentioned, opt-out clauses usually give the club some window of time to decide whether or not to give the player a roster spot. If the team chooses not to, then the player can elect free agency. Players are postseason eligible for a club as long as they are within that organization prior to Sept. 1, giving Harrison just under a week to either get a roster spot with the Rangers or perhaps find a new deal with another team if he returns to free agency.
The Rangers have a regular infield of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Nathaniel Lowe and Ezequiel Durán, with Josh H. Smith in the bench role and Jonathan Ornelas providing Triple-A depth. Josh Jung is out with a thumb fracture but could return later in the year. If the Rangers don’t add Harrison to the roster, he will return to free agency and market himself as a versatile depth piece, hoping to find a new club before the end of the month.
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