Harrison eyes Cincy homecoming in Reds' crowded infield

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon's Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds' crowded infield situation entering camp would seem to have had a big "no vacancy" sign hanging over it. But that didn't concern veteran utility player Josh Harrison.

The allure of playing in his hometown was too much for Harrison to pass up when the 36-year-old signed a Minor League contract with Cincinnati on Feb. 5.

“Timing is everything," Harrison said on Friday after arriving at camp. "Anybody would have aspirations to stay home and play, especially in a situation like mine where my kids aren’t getting any younger. Sometimes deciding factors like that can definitely help."

Harrison grew up in Cincinnati, went to Princeton High School and the University of Cincinnati and still lives in Cincinnati in the offseason with his wife and their two daughters, ages 10 and 6. His older brother, Vince, is the new manager of the Reds' High-A affiliate in Dayton.

If Harrison makes the club out of camp, he would earn $1.5 million in 2024. If he's not on the big league roster by March 21, he can opt out. The odds of making the final roster are longer because Harrison is a non-roster player.

“Competition has never scared me. It’s not the first non-roster deal I’ve signed," Harrison said. "Competition has never been anything I’ve shied away from. If anything, it gives me more motivation to be at home.”

Because Harrison is from Cincinnati and has played against the Reds for a long time, manager David Bell already had plenty of familiarity.

“We know what kind of player he is," Bell said. "It would be awesome if he was on our team, and we would welcome him into our team for a lot of reasons. It’s just that some things have to fall into place. It kind of has to play itself out to see exactly how that would happen.”

Harrison spent the first eight years of his 13-season big league career with the Pirates, where he was a two-time All-Star (2014 and '17). He was one of the first full-time utility players to get the honor.

“Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve done it for a long time -- playing a lot of positions," said Harrison, a career .270 hitter with a .712 OPS and a 17.1 WAR.

Harrison has played every position on the field, except catcher, over his career. He brought all of his gloves to camp so he would be available to play any position asked of him.

“It just makes it so easy to get a lot of playing time," Bell said. "No matter how good a player you are, that increases your value when that’s who you are and like doing it. There would never be any hesitation of just putting him anywhere. That’s a good head start on trying to make the team.”

Harrison has bounced around since his time in Pittsburgh, with stints for the Tigers (2019), Nationals ('20-21), A's ('21), White Sox ('22) and Phillies ('23). Over 41 games last season with Philadelphia, he batted .204 with two home runs before he was released on Aug. 2. He signed a Minor League contract with the Rangers but was released after a week when there were no big league spots available.

Besides geography, having a chance to play for a contending team with young players was another appeal to Harrison.

“I had a good opportunity to watch last year; I didn’t really play," Harrison said. "I know what they bring to the table. They’re full of energy. I’ve still got a lot of energy. I can play this game and I know I can help. It was an opportunity I was willing to jump for.”