Every Phillies fan cringed a little when the news broke that former Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals slugger Josh Bell would be heading back to D.C. after agreeing to a one-year, $6 million deal with the Nationals.
Bell, 32, will be back in the National League East for the third time in his career, looking to build off of his second half after being traded to Arizona. In 2024 with Miami, the Texas native had an OPS+ of only 89 compared to his 121 mark with the Diamondbacks. Bell has a career OPS+ of 114 during his nine-year MLB career, spending time in Pittsburgh, San Diego, Arizona, and Cleveland as well as the aforementioned division rivals.
Josh Bell to the Nationals. $6M
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 30, 2024
Phillies killer Josh Bell heads back to NL East with Washington Nationals
While the switch-hitting first baseman made his debut in 2016, for all of Philadelphia, it feels like it has been decades. Over his 69 games against Philadelphia, Bell has slashed .260/.350/.553 with 15 home runs, his most against any team. At one point the fanbase had turned toward a trade for him, just so he wasn't in the opposing dugout anymore.
Bell has always seemed to find his way to the plate in big moments and crush the dreams of the fans, not only when he was within the division, but also coming up with clutch hits for the Padres during the Phillies' run to the World Series in 2022, including the double to tie Game 5 in the NLCS.
Luckily, the Phillies had an answer for that one.
It is unknown the exact role that Bell will play in Washington as the roster is far from finalized, but he will likely be a bridge-gap player, earning his time on the field due to quality play and proven ability.
The Nationals continue to make moves to accelerate their rebuild and come into contention sooner rather than later. While the top three dogs of the NL East will be tough competition, smart moves and analytical baseball could help Washington find an edge. Bell will return to a familiar clubhouse and look to be a veteran leader for a young but talented roster in Washington.