Washington Nationals: Seven free agent second baseman to consider
By Blake Finney
Josh Harrison
One of the other versatile names that the Washington Nationals have been linked with this offseason is Josh Harrison. The Pittsburgh Pirates declined his $10 million option for the 2019 season, making him a free agent and the Nats could pounce.
Throughout his career, Harrison has hit an impressive .277 with a .725 OPS, which equates to a slightly below average OPS+ of 97. The two-time All-Star has shown plenty of upside in his career though, even finishing ninth in the 2014 NL MVP race.
He doesn’t just provide a nice bat in the lineup though, he also has similar versatility to Jed Lowrie who covered in the previous slide. He’s played second and third base as well as both corner outfield spots, all at a solid level too. So should he sign with the Nats, they could plug and play him wherever there’s a spot if a player needs a break.
Just like Brian Dozier, the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reported that the Nationals have shown interest in Harrison. The former Pirate’s name has come up a few times this offseason and could be an option if the team wants to look for versatility in a new second baseman.
Once again, we look at the contract predictions by Jon Heyman, who has Harrison earning a two-year deal worth between $5 million and $6 million. That sort of price range would seem to fit the Nationals if they get priced out of a player like Lowrie.