First baseman Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract with a mutual option, sources told ESPN, filling a substantial need for Minnesota with the well-traveled switch hitter.
Bell, a 33-year-old who will be playing for his seventh team, is a consistent veteran for a Twins team hoping to stabilize after a transformative trade deadline in which it dealt 10 big league players in a flurry of deals. While the Twins this winter have entertained moving some of the remaining veterans on their roster, including right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, they nonetheless found a fit with Bell to complement their young position-playing corps.
Bell hit .237/.325/.417 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs for the Washington Nationals last year, remaining with the team after three consecutive seasons in which he was moved at the trade deadline. Minnesota rotated mostly between Ty France and Kody Clemens at first base this year, and its 15 home runs at first base was tied for the second fewest by any team.
Between his solid walk rate and reasonable strikeout rate, Bell regularly takes solid at-bats — and has the ability to put a charge into the ball. Over 10 major league seasons, starting with Pittsburgh in 2016, he has hit .256/.341/.443 with 193 home runs and 676 RBIs.
The Twins, coming off a 70-92 season and fourth-place finish in the AL Central, return star center fielder Byron Buxton as well as up-and-coming second baseman Luke Keaschall and could see the debuts of a number of high-end prospect bats this year, including outfielder Walker Jenkins and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper.
