Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Pirates traded first baseman Josh Bell with Washington Nationals for launch opportunities Eddy Yean and Wil Crowe on Thursday.
Crowe was the third ranked candidate in the Nationals organization, and Yean came in sixth, for MLB.com.
Jeff Passan ESPN and Jon Heyman MLB Network first reported the deal and the players involved.
Bell spent his entire career with the Pirates, emerging as a powerful All-Star during the 2019 season. He struggled during the shortened COVID-19 campaign for 2020, reaching 0.226 / 0.305 / 0.364 with eight home runs and 22 races. driven, but Nacional is counting on a recovery in a stronger lineup.
Pirates are shifting from Bell to what amounts to a long-term money-saving measure. He has one year of arbitration remaining before reaching the free agency after the 2022 season.
Pirates regularly have one of the lowest payrolls in the sport. Bell would probably be out of its price range by reaching the open market, so they are getting out of the curve by negotiating with it – getting more in return and betting on a 2021 campaign they shouldn’t be competing in.
The Nationals are more likely to pay Bell in the long run, especially if he returns to the 2019 form. Otherwise, the opportunity cost is relatively low. He is a powerful dangerous bat that can hit 4-6 slots, but does not bring much (if any) defensively.
Washington desperately needed help at first base after Eric Thames struggled to fill the spot in 2020.