Former All-Star Josh Harrison Opts Out of Deal With Hometown Cincinnati Reds

Josh Harrison, a former outstanding player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, chose to hit the open market after learning he would not be included on the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster.

Josh Harrison, an experienced infielder, has chosen to leave the Cincinnati Reds, according to a report from C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic on Monday.

After learning he wouldn’t be joining the Reds for Opening Day, Harrison decided to reenter free agency instead of going to the minor leagues.

Early in February, Harrison was not expected to make it through every round of cuts when the Reds signed him to a minor league contract. There was a slim chance that Harrison might play for his hometown team, though, when promising infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended for 80 games after using performance-enhancing drugs a month later.

But, batting, the native of Cincinnati was unable to take advantage of the occasion.After eight Spring Training games, he has a.650 OPS, 250 with one RBI, and one stolen base.

Tony Kemp, a non-roster invite, is currently projected by FanGraphs to join the Reds on Opening Day, likely replacing Harrison.

Harrison played with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023, but they ended up releasing him in the middle of the year. After failing to make it to the majors, the infielder decided to opt out of his minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.

The 36-year-old was formerly a Pittsburgh Pirates standout, and during much of his major league career, the 13-year veteran has proven productive.

Harrison played for eight seasons in Pittsburgh, where he was selected for the 2014 and 2017 All-Star Games. After hitting.315 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 18 stolen bases, 38 doubles, and an.837 OPS in 2014, Harrison came in eighth in the NL MVP voting.

Harrison hit.290 between 2014 and 2017, dividing his time between the outfield, third base, and second base.

In 2020 and 2021, Harrison hit.291 with a.794 OPS while playing for the Washington Nationals, but he has not had the same level of success elsewhere. Harrison’s OPS was.480 in 2019 while playing for the Detroit Tigers; in 2021, he was with the Oakland Athletics; in 2022, he was with the Chicago White Sox; and in 2023, he was with the Phillies.

Harrison will now have ten days to find a new position before the regular season begins, failing which he might have to take a minor league deal in order to continue his career.