Arizona Diamondbacks 2024 Player Review: Josh Bell

The D-backs' deadline acquisition provided some needed depth in 2024.

Sep 8, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Bell (36) hits a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

This article is part of a series chronicling the individual seasons of players who appeared for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.

Reviews for players who still have rookie eligibility for 2025 will appear in our prospect season reviews. Players are presented in the reverse order of their aWAR, an average of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs WAR.

1B Josh Bell

2024 Contract status: One year Player Option (picked up in Miami) $16.5 million, $2.25 million paid by D-backs in 2024

Josh Bell 2024 and career statistics / Alex D'Agostino | Diamondbacks On SI

The Arizona Diamondbacks would need first base depth in 2024. Starting first baseman Christian Walker figured to continue on his everyday path, but on July 30, Walker was removed from a game with an oblique injury. With their franchise player down, general manager Mike Hazen swung a trade for Miami Marlins first baseman Josh Bell at the 2024 Trade Deadline.

The Marlins had placed Bell on waivers on July 28, but hadn't removed him from the roster, possibly in an attempt to get the 31-year-old first baseman's somewhat hefty contract off their hands. Bell had been slumping a bit to this point in the season, slashing .239/.305/.394 before being waived.

Strangely, Bell had been in the midst of a hot streak when it was done, as he'd hit a home run in five of seven contests leading up to his departure from Miami.

The D-backs then made the trade for Bell, offering either cash considerations or a player to be named later, while only taking on $2.25 million of Bell's salary.

And Bell made an immediate impact on the D-backs. In his first action with the club, he smashed two home runs against his former team - the Pittsburgh Pirates - in a thrilling 9-8 victory.

He'd put forward a solid first month with Arizona with Walker sidelined. While sharing at-bats with Pavin Smith, the big switch-hitter filled in admirably, slashing .276/.349/.459 in August with four home runs.

Once Walker returned on September 3, Bell's playing time took a hit. While he provided value as a switch-hitter, he only took 42 at-bats in September, and was used often as a pinch-hitter. He maintained a very solid average, hitting .286 on the month, but his power took a dive, and his monthly slugging percentage was a mere .381.

As a whole, Bell's power, which had been his calling card, appeared to be dwindling. Despite putting up quality at-bats and coming through at the plate frequently, many of the base hits were singles.

But where the most improvement came was in his infield defense. Working with D-backs infield coach Tony Perezchica (now a member of the Astros' coaching staff), Bell came to the desert as a bat-only first baseman, with very little defensive value.

Bell isn't the quickest or most agile player, and wasn't known as a positive fielder. But in Arizona, he posted -2 defensive runs saved (+5 from the -7 he posted with Miami), and posted -5.7 FanGraphs defensive rating, up from -12.1 with Miami.

Now granted, these are still negative numbers, and could also be explained by more limited time at the first base position with Arizona, but the eye test showed a much more comfortable defensive player, and the improvement was notable.

Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers spoke to Bell about his defensive work ethic, that in-depth breakdown of his defensive improvement and relationship with Perezchica can be found here.

As a whole, it wasn't the most eye-popping season for Bell, and by the end he was relegated to mostly bench duties. Though his switch-hitting versatility provided value, he was more consistent and powerful as a left-handed hitter, putting up a .830 OPS and 132 wRC+ (32% above average) as a lefty, while hitting to a .738 OPS and 107 wRC+ as a righty.

It all added up to a relatively successful stint for Bell with Arizona. As a member of the D-backs, Bell slashed a respectable .279/.361/.436 with 22 RBI and five homers. Teaming up with Pavin Smith he provided some much need depth at first base.

2025 Outlook

2025 Contract status: Free Agent

Bell played on a player option in 2024. With the season concluded, he's now a free agent, free to explore the market and negotiate with other teams. However, a return to the D-backs might be in the cards for the big first baseman.

Walker remains the biggest question mark. If Arizona does retain their franchise first baseman, Bell might be best suited to look for opportunities elsewhere. But it does seem likely that Walker will reject Arizona's Qualifying Offer and seek a major deal with another club, and Bell could be a more affordable option to platoon with Smith at first base.

The fact that Bell can hit from both sides of the plate also gives him an argument to stay and play off the bench on a short contract, but the veteran might not be looking for a deal that limited. At the same time, he's appeared to lose a bit of his pop over the years.

His average exit velocity on the year was 88.9 MPH, down over 2 MPH from his prior few seasons. His full-season slug was the lowest it had been since 2020, and his ISO (isolated power) took a 16-point drop from 2023.

Bell absolutely has a decent chance to return to the D-backs, and he'd definitely bring value of some sort to the club, it just depends how much he might be looking for, and what Arizona's needs truly are at first base in 2025.

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