BRADENTON, Fla. -- Andrew McCutchen and Josh Harrison talked, laughed and danced together on the field at LECOM Park before enjoying their mini homecomings. McCutchen is back with his original team, and current Phillie Harrison was preparing to play his first game at the Pirates' spring home since 2018.
Add Harrison to the ever-growing list of people who are enjoying seeing McCutchen back in black and gold.
"It's kind of hard to look at his career and know where he's been and what he's done, but when you think of him, you think of the special years he had in Pit," Harrison told a small group of reporters before Monday's game between the Phillies and Pirates. "Even for me, getting to spend those years with him. It's cool to see [it] come full circle."
"For him to be able to do that, to come back to the place that's home for him, I don't think think that's anything anyone would take lightly," Harrison added shortly after. "Things have come full circle."
Harrison and McCutchen were two of the major players to help spark the Pirates' turnaround and rattle off three straight postseason berths from 2013-2015, and their friendship extends beyond that. One of the reasons why the Pirates ended up bringing McCutchen back this year was because they wanted to take a step forward in their rebuild, and who better to help shepherd a young group of players and teach them about winning than the guy who did it a decade ago?
With that in mind, McCutchen's return sparked Pirate fans to wonder if Harrison could rejoin the team too since he was a free agent at the time.
Obviously it didn't happen, but plenty were enamored with the idea of getting the band back together, especially since a right-handed utility player sounds like a good fit for a bench player on this Pirates team.
"I got my fair share of tweets and texts," Harrison said, flashing his million dollar smile. "...I don't rule anything out. It didn't happen [this year], but it doesn't mean that we can't cross paths."
Harrison couldn't say for certain if his agent and the Pirates had talked at all this winter, but he did not talk to the team about a potential reunion. And a chance to get a ring with the defending National League champs was an appealing opportunity that he couldn't pass up.
But maybe both he and McCutchen could reunite again someday still. If not, at least that series between those two clubs from July 28-30 is set to be Harrison's first series as an active player back at PNC Park.
"It's a crazy sport," Harrison said. "Rosters get changed up every year. I wouldn't say it could never happen. Who knows what the future holds?"
