Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is looking forward to a middle-of-the-order spot in the lineup, writes Mark Zuckerman. Manager Davey Martinez indicated "a very strong possibility" that Bell would hit behind star outfielder Juan Soto, citing Bell's experience batting cleanup and his being a switch hitter. Bell is coming off a difficult 2020 and will occasionally sit for longtime Nat Ryan Zimmerman, but 2020 was an outlier for Bell in addition to being a short, weird season ...

Josh Bell was a disappointment in fantasy last season, but a fresh start with the Washington Nationals should help him return to form. Like many of us, the big first baseman looked lost in 2020. Bell finished the season ranked 41st among 1B eligible players while setting new career-worsts in on-base percentage (.305), slugging percentage (.364), K-rate (26.5%), and wRC+ (78).The good news is that was across only 223 plate appearances. In 2019 Bell was an All-Star. He blasted 37 homers and had ...

The Washington Nationals were one of the bigger disappointments in baseball last season. Robbed of their World Series celebration with their fans, the Nats limped to a 26-34 record in the pandemic-shortened season, good for last in the NL East.The Nationals addressed one of their biggest weaknesses, however, by swinging a Christmas Eve trade for one of fantasy baseball's biggest busts in 2020, Josh Bell. The switch-hitting first baseman will fill an immediate need at the cold-corner in ...

The Washington Nationals are looking to sign a free-agent corner outfielder despite already trading for first baseman Josh Bell this offseason. Marcell Ozuna is the biggest name available, but he could be out of the team's price range after having a big year in Atlanta. Veteran Michael Brantley is more affordable and still brings a high-quality bat, but he has defensive questions. Kyle Schwarber is also a defensive liability, but he would be more attractive if the universal designated hitter ...

Despite trading for first baseman Josh Bell last week, the Washington Nationals continue to seek another middle-of-the-order bat to add to a lineup that includes star outfielder Juan Soto. It could mean another trade, with Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant being connected to the Nationals for a while now. Outfielders Marcell Ozuna and George Springer are two of the top free agents available, and either could be a fit with the Nats as a corner outfielder. Free-agent second baseman DJ ...

The Washington Nationals acquired first baseman Josh Bell from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday in exchange for young pitchers Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean. Bell set career highs in almost every category when he made his first All-Star team in 2019 by hitting .277 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI, but he regressed in the shortened 2020 season. The 28-year-old hit just .226 with eight home runs and 22 RBI this year. In his five seasons with Pittsburgh, Bell hit .261 with 86 homers and 309 RBI. Crowe, ...

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is back in the starting lineup on Thursday after getting the day off on Wednesday. He's hitting cleanup in Thursday's game against Alec Mills and the Chicago Cubs. Bell is slashing .221/.296/.354 with seven home runs, 19 RBI and 19 runs over 53 games this year. He's been extremely cold lately, going 0-for-17 over his last five games. Hopefully he'll be able to turn things around after Wednesday's day off.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell is not starting Wednesday versus Chicago and right-hander Kyle Hendricks. Colin Moran shifts over to first base, with Jose Osuna holding down the DH spot. Bell is in a ferociously cold slump, having gone 0-for-19 over his last seven games with two walks and nine strikeouts. After an All-Star campaign in 2019, Bell has fallen off significantly this year, further muddling his fantasy outlook heading into 2021; fantasy managers can ...

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell is not among the clubs starting nine for Thursdays contest against the Cubs and right-hander Alec Mills. Colin Moran will hold down first base in Bells absence, with the club opting to look elsewhere for thump against the soft-tossing Mills. Despite some significant season-long struggles at the dish, Bell has shown signs of heating up over the past week, with Thursday marking only his second game off all year. Fantasy managers can ...

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell is continuing to hit rockets when he puts the ball in play in 2020. With an average exit velocity of 91.8 MPH, he ranks above league average and his xSLG is nearly 100 points higher (.417) than what his actual SLG has delivered (.325). But by swinging and missing at a rate (37.8%) that puts him in the bottom six percentile of all batters in the Majors, he is becoming an increasingly difficult season-long asset. Swinging right-handed, ...