The New York Yankees have been hit by the injury bug right before Opening Day, with their top pitcher Gerrit Cole expected to be out for at least 10 weeks because of an elbow injury, and their star hitter Aaron Judge missing ten days of Spring Training to recover from an abdominal problem.
Plus, likely first batter and and four-time Gold Glove winner third baseman DJ LeMahieu might miss the beginning of the season after hurting his right foot with a foul ball. To strengthen the bench, a pro baseball scout has proposed the Yankees sign free agent Josh Harrison.
“The Yankees may have nothing to lose by considering two-time All-Star Josh Harrison, who left his minor-league contract with the (Cincinnati) Reds after finding out he wouldn’t make their Opening Day roster,” Randy Miller reported for NJ.com. “A pro baseball scout who saw Harrison in Arizona this spring believes he’d be better than anything the Yankees currently have as a temporary replacement for LeMahieu.”
Josh Harrison Would Provide a Bench Boost for the New York Yankees
Harrison might not have the same impact he had in his All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2017 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he played 103 times for the strong Philadelphia Phillies last season and has participated in 338 career games at third base besides 646 games at second base and 148 games in the outfield.
In 13 seasons in the big leagues, Harrison has a career .270/.316/.396 slash line. And there’s reason to believe he’d be better than the current Yankees choices to stand in for LeMahieu, who is in the fourth season of a six-year, $90 million contract.
“The internal options aren’t very exciting, and they (still) wouldn’t be if Oswald Peraza wasn’t injured because he didn't perform well at bat as a rookie last year,” Miller added. “There’s Oswaldo Cabrera, who plays seven positions well but hasn’t been very threatening at the plate.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had previously indicated the team would be looking outside of its internal choices to complete the roster before Opening Day.
“I feel like we have some people that we can rely on here, but every spring, we’ll always look external, too,” Cashman said, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. “We’ll see how the rest of camp plays out elsewhere, as well as trade conversations. Something that might not fit elsewhere might fit better here.”
Harrison's deal with the Reds was for one year and $1.5 million and, as he chose to leave, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch noted that he “could be an option if DJ LeMahieu isn’t ready to begin the season.”
The New York Yankees Could Use a Veteran Presence in the Clubhouse
In addition to the original need at third base, Harrison offers some qualities that might interest the Yankees as a long-term asset.
“While he’s not someone you’d expect to bat leadoff as the Yankees intended with LeMahieu, Harrison makes a lot of contact,” Peter Brody wrote for Pinstripe Alley. “He also would provide positional flexibility to a Yankees bench that plans to have two catchers, having played every position except for catcher in his career… At the very least, Harrison is considered by his colleagues as one of the genuinely good individuals in the sport.”
