First baseman Josh Bell was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Washington Nationals, it was announced on Thursday.
In return, Pirates will have young pitchers Wil Crowe, who made his debut with Nats in 2020, and Eddy Yean.
“We are excited to add a player of Josh Bell’s caliber to our team,” said GM Mike Rizzo of Nacional in a statement. “He adds an alternating hitting power stick to our schedule. And we know Josh will be a remarkable addition to our club and our community.”
Coming out of a 2019 season in which he set career records in almost all offensive categories, Bell, 28, regressed during the 2020 season shortened by the pandemic, reaching 0.226 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs.
He made his first All-Star team in 2019, hitting 0.277 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs, and had a hefty salary increase to $ 4.8 million, avoiding arbitration in January.
In five seasons, all with Pirates, Bell has a career hitting average of 0.261, with 86 home runs and 309 RBIs.
Crowe, 26, went 0-2 with an ERA of 11.88 in three games for Nacional. Yean, 19, is 3-5 with an ERA of 4.70 in 20 games in the Washington agricultural system.