The Washington Nationals have acquired All-Star first baseman Josh Bell from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade. The Nationals announced the deal Thursday afternoon.
The Nationals are sending the Pirates two minor league pitchers, Wil Crowe and 19-year old Eddy Yean.
“We are thrilled to be adding a player of Josh Bell’s caliber to our team,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement. “He adds a switch-hitting power bat to our lineup. And we know Josh will be an outstanding addition to our clubhouse and our community.”
Rizzo said earlier this month the Nationals were in the market for “middle of the lineup” bat.
Bell had a breakout season in 2019. He earned his first All-Star nod, hitting .277/.367/.569 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs. All of which were career highs for the now 28-year old.
The acquisition of Bell makes him a prime candidate to slot anywhere from cleanup through sixth in the order. While he had his biggest year batting primarily at cleanup, the sixth slot is where he’s been consistently his best.
He is a career .261 hitting with a .814 OPS, 86 home runs and a 1.6 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.
Bell’s addition crosses off the Nationals’ need to add a bat in the middle of the order. Additionally, he fixes a hole at first base that exists with Howie Kendrick retiring and the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Zimmerman’s future with the club.
Meanwhile, Crowe, 26, spent four seasons with the Nationals organization. He made three appearances with Washington last season. He had a 0-2 record, allowing 11 earned runs while faces 46 batters (11.88 ERA).
Yean is viewed as a promising prospect joining the Nationals after being signed from the Dominican Republic in 2018. He is a long-term project and the Pirates’ return of investment may not be known for a few years down the road.
Washington got a bargain to land an All-Star caliber player at first. Surely, he isn’t superb defensively but he boosts their offense. The Nationals now can shift their focus to adding a corner outfielder and upgrading their catcher position.
