Former Diamondback Josh Bell Reportedly Signs With Nationals

It was announced Sunday evening that the Washington Nationals have reportedly signed Josh Bell.

Aug 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Bell against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

News broke on Sunday evening that former Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Bell is signing with the Washington Nationals. The deal was first reported by the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Bell's deal is for 1 year and 6 million dollars, agreeing to play DH for a young and upcoming Nationals team that may surprise some people in 2025. He will pair up with another newly acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in the U.S.'s capital city and should find himself batting in the middle of their lineup.

This isn't his first stint with Washington, as he was with the club from 2021 till mid 2022 when he was sent to San Diego in the Juan Soto deal. Since then Bell has bounced around the league, with stints in Cleveland, Miami, and of course Arizona.

Last year the Diamondbacks acquired Bell from the Marlins in a mid-season trade while Christian Walker was on the injured list. The trade ended up being more consequential than most expected, when Bell, who was having a down year, began to perform at a high level for the D-backs.

Walker went on to miss a month with a left oblique strain. During that time Bell hit .273 with a .786 OPS and 4 home runs. He also tallied 16 RBI over that month long stretch and scored 18 himself.

His whole tenure with Arizona was quite successful. A 121 OPS+ with the D-backs in 41 games certainly helped him earn this deal with the Nationals, but it wasn't just the counting stats that he will be remembered for.

Bell broke onto the Arizona sports scene with a bang, hitting two Home Runs against the Pirates during his Diamondbacks debut. The latter of the home runs which came off Aroldis Chapman set an MLB record for hardest thrown pitch ever to be hit for a home run.

Josh Bell has homered from both sides of the plate in his @Dbacks debut! pic.twitter.com/feGol1wNAJ

— MLB (@MLB) August 3, 2024

Bell's 6 million dollar deal does give an indication of the DH market, which the D-backs are still involved in. Other right-handed hitting names in Free Agency that still remain include Randal Grichuk, Justin Turner, and J.D. Martinez.

While the rumors around a potential Josh Bell reunion in Arizona were few and far between, his time in the desert was quite memorable. The Diamondbacks will face Bell and the Nationals from April 4th to 6th on the road, as well as from May 30 to June 1 at Chase Field.

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