Former Astro Will Harris joins Nats after losing Game 7

By: Jake Seiner, The Associated Press Posted: 8:20 AM CST Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 Last Modified: 3:52 PM CST Friday, Jan. 3, 2020

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Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him and the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series.

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Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him and the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/01/2020 (2424 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him and the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series.

Harris and the Nationals have agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract, the team announced Friday.

The 35-year-old right-hander dominated with Houston for much of the post-season, starting October with nine consecutive scoreless innings. The Nationals finally got to him late in the World Series, and Harris allowed Howie Kendrick’s go-ahead home run in Game 7.

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2019, file photo, Houston Astros relief pitcher Will Harris throws against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning of Game 3 of the baseball World Series, in Washington. Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros. Harris and the Nationals have agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, because the agreement has not been announced. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Washington went on to win its first World Series. Harris was stuck with the loss.

“There’s no bitterness or anything like that from my end other than: Would I have liked it to go a different way? I mean, of course,” Harris said. “But there’s a lot of moments in my career I wish had gone a different way.”

Harris acknowledged feeling uneasy when the Nationals first approached him.

“That’s the first Game 7 World Series homer I’ve ever given up and I plan on it being the last,” he said. “So didn’t really know how to feel about it and how I felt about the Nationals.

“It didn’t take me very long,” he added. “It took me a little while, thinking about it. I was like, ‘Look, man, there’s a lot of baseball left to play.’ And I’m looking forward to doing it in an organization that I feel really comfortable being a part of.”

The right-handed Harris had a 1.50 ERA in 68 games for the Astros last season. He had been with Houston since 2015 and was an All-Star in 2016.

Harris will try to bolster a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball last season. Nationals relievers blew 29 saves and had a 5.68 ERA, both worst in the NL. Harris is likely to slot behind closer Sean Doolittle as the team’s top setup man.

Harris filled a number of roles during his time in Houston, including as a specialist against left-handed hitters — unusual for a right-handed pitcher, but a crucial strength as Major League Baseball adopts a three-batter minimum for pitchers heading into the 2020 season.

He has no preference regarding his place in the pecking order. He was more concerned with joining another title contender.