Source: Nats signing reliever Will Harris to three-year deal

In their quest to fix the most notable hole in an otherwise talented and deep roster, the Nationals have signed the veteran reliever who gave up the home run that propelled them to their first World Series title only nine weeks ago.

Will Harris, the former Astros right-hander who threw the pitch that Howie Kendrick clanked off the foul pole at Minute Maid Park in Game 7, has agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract with the Nationals, a source familiar with the terms confirmed tonight.

The deal is still contingent on the 35-year-old Harris passing a physical, the source said, but once completed, it will give the Nats the kind of consistently effective setup man they sorely lacked through the majority of their championship season.

Though D.C. fans know Harris mostly for the two critical homers he surrendered in late October - Anthony Rendon's tack-on two-run shot to left in Game 6, then Kendrick's go-ahead homer to right in Game 7 - Houston fans know him for a dominant 2019 season to cap a strong five-year run with the club.

In 68 regular season appearances, Harris sported a 1.50 ERA (tops among all qualifying American League relievers) and 0.933 WHIP. He then opened the postseason with 10 scoreless appearances that included only six baserunners.

It was the best season of Harris' career, but he has been consistently effective since the Astros claimed him off waivers from the Diamondbacks prior to 2015. Over the last five years, he has a 2.36 ERA, 0.987 WHIP and 315 strikeouts in 297 innings.

Though Harris' worst moment of the 2019 season cost his team the World Series, it's worth remembering that Kendrick has given the right-hander credit for throwing a good pitch - a 91 mph cutter on the lower, outside corner - that he simply found a way to loft to the only successful spot he could hit that pitch.

The Nationals certainly saw enough in Harris to award him a three-year contract, the kind of long-term deal they've rarely been willing to hand out to relievers who often find themselves the most volatile players in the sport on a year-to-year basis. Harris turns 36 in August, which means he'll be 39 when this contract expires.

The signing also all but eliminates any possibility of the Nationals re-signing Daniel Hudson, the July 31 acquisition who flourished as a late-inning complement to Sean Doolittle and wound up recording the final out in the wild card game, National League Championship Series and World Series. Hudson, despite his fine performance in three months with the Nats, doesn't have Harris' year-to-year track record.

Harris' signing was first reported by The Athletic, with financial terms first reported by USA Today.