The Phillies have reportedly signed veteran Josh Harrison to a one-year deal.
While most Philadelphia sports fans were watching the Eagles defeat the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the Super Bowl, the Phillies were making some moves of their own. Jon Heyman reported that the Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran utility man– Josh Harrison– to a one-year $2 million deal.
This is the second time Harrison has signed with the Phillies. He was signed prior to the 2020 season but was released before he could make an appearance. Harrison is a solid pick up for the Phillies to add to their bench. He can be a reliable bat, especially while Bryce Harper is sidelined as he recovers from offseason elbow surgery. The veteran played for the Chicago White Sox in 2022 but has been a consistent Major League contributor since 2011 when he made his debut. The 35-year old Harrison had spent the majority of his early career in Pittsburgh and was a two-time All Star in 2014 and 2017. This past season, Harrison totaled 386 at-bats in which he slashed .256/.317.370.
Harrison has mainly played second base and third base throughout his career. He has played some outfield, albeit a small sample size. Offensively, Harrison strikes out at a low rate and can get one base. Edmundo Sosa would still likely be the most reliable defensive infield option off the bench. Harrison, however, could be a nice addition as a pinch hitter or spot starter.
The Phillies bench will most likely consist of Harrison, Sosa, Garrett Stubbs, Dalton Guthrie, and some combination of Jake Cave, Darick Hall, or Kody Clemens over the course of the season. Most have shown Major League success which will be beneficial to bench depth. The team will not have space to carry all of those players at the same time. It is likely that they will keep some of them at Lehigh Valley for call-ups barring injury or another need.
The Phillies have spent the offseason strengthening all parts of the team. They added to rotation depth in Taijuan Walker and lineup depth in Trea Turner. They also shored up their bullpen by adding Matt Strahm, Craig Kimbrel, and Gregory Soto. Adding Harrison on a short-term, affordable deal can only help the club if he is able to perform off the bench. Over the course of a 162-game season, clubs can never have enough bench depth.
