Another middle infielder reportedly is off the market.
The Boston Red Sox recently completed a trade for former Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, but still have been connected to free agent infielders as the team looks to replace longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
One player Boston was heavily connected to was two-time All-Star infielder Josh Harrison, but he now is off the market after reportedly signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
Harrison began his Major League Baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 and spent the first eight years of his career in town. The 35-year-old earned two All-Star nods with Pittsburgh and has bounced around since leaving the Pirates after the 2018 season. Harrison has spent time with the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, and most recently the Chicago White Sox in 2022.
With Bogaerts out the door and Trevor Story set to miss time after undergoing elbow surgery, Harrison sounded like he would be a great addition for Boston. He slashed .256/.317/.370 in 2022 for the White Sox to go along with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. Harrison has been very solid offensively throughout his 12-year MLB career with an average slash line of .272/.318/.398 and would have provided Boston with plenty of flexibility.
Harrison was all over the field for Chicago in 2022 and saw time at second base, shortstop, third base, designated hitter, left field, and even pitcher.
Boston's acquisition of Mondesi helped answer some questions about the team's plans for the middle infield in 2023, but not all of them. The former Royal still is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL and may not be ready on time, so adding Harrison into the mix still would've made sense, but now the team doesn't have the chance.
The Red Sox still have plenty of time, but if they want to make another move, they likely should do so sooner rather than later.
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