*Photo from the San Diego Union Tribune*
They needed some extra pop in their lineup. They sure got some. The Cleveland Guardians and 1B Josh Bell have agreed to a two year, $33 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Guardians have confirmed the news.
Bell's deal contains an opt out following the 2023 season. The Guardians needed some pop in their lineup after having one of the weaker offenses in baseball, and the addition of Bell certainly provides necessary power. His lone all star game appearance came in 2019 but was excellent in a Washington Nationals uniform up until he was traded.
Another hallmark of Bell is that he has proven durable over his career. He has only missed over 20 games in a season once, that being his rookie year in 2016. He has seen improvements defensively over the years, and features big power and strong plate discipline when he's on the top of his game.
Bell spent the 2022 season with the Nationals and San Diego Padres after being a part of the Juan Soto trade. He ended the season with a .266 batting average, .362 on base percentage, and .784 OPS, blasting 17 home runs to go with 71 RBI's in 156 games.
In his career, Bell has suited up for the Nationals, Padres, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that time, he has a .459 slugging percentage, .351 on base percentage, and .262 batting average, adding 468 RBI's on top of 130 home runs in 852 games. He adds a .250 average with two home runs and 5 RBI's in 10 career playoff games.
In Cleveland, Bell is expected to provide a compliment to Josh Naylor at first base, with Bell likely to start at first when Naylor is in the outfield, and likely at DH when Naylor plays first base. Owen Miller is another option at first for the Guardians.
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