Cleveland Guardians sign Josh Bell to two-year deal: report
The Guardians have answered one of the few questions marks surrounding their 2023 Opening Day roster.
During this week's winter meetings, the Guardians have come to an agreement on a two-year, $33 million deal with first baseman Josh Bell, according to reports from ESPN and the New York Post. The deal includes an opt-out.
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Bell, a 30-year-old switch-hitter, is a natural fit for the Guardians lineup who represents a significant upgrade to their designated hitter spot. Last season, Bell hit .266 with a .362 on-base percentage along with 17 home runs, 29 doubles and 71 RBIs in 156 games between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. He posted a 123 wRC+ in 2022 and a 119 wRC+ in 2021 and 2.0 fWAR in both seasons.
The Guardians, meanwhile, received a 68 wRC+ last year (meaning Cleveland DHs were 32% below league average, while Bell was 23 percent above league average), which ranked dead last in the majors, along with -1.3 fWAR. In that sense, Bell is a major upgrade that the Guardians can use to stabilize their DH spot, along with him being able to play first base in addition to Josh Naylor.
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In the playoffs, the Guardians turned to either Will Brennan or Owen Miller for their DH spot, which left much to be desired, until Naylor's ankle injury forced them to shuffle the lineup. Bell's signing adds a switch-hitter to the order who gets on base at a high rate and can hit for a bit of power, making him a natural fit.
While he has improved since the early days of his major league career, Bell remains a below-average first baseman defensively. He finished with -1 Defensive Runs Saved in 2020, 2021 and 2022 after recording at least -5 DRS in each of his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Naylor, while not as experienced at first base, has graded slightly better with two DRS in 854 1/3 innings. It's likely the two will split time between first base and the DH spot.
Naylor aggravated his surgically-repaired ankle during the postseason. The team's hope is that with a normal offseason of rest, he can be be closer to back to normal. It's also possible he could see time in the outfield to add some defensive flexibility with Bell now in the fold.
"I think our trainers really think that another year removed is going to be really good for him," manager Terry Francona told reporters in San Diego. "I think he's committed to trying to slim down just a little bit because he does have an issue with his leg. It's real."
"I'm even going to reach out to him — in fact, I was thinking about it today about going back to the outfield a little bit just to create some versatility. If we can do things like that, DH somebody. But I didn't think last year — we started the year the first maybe two weeks in right. I didn't think sending him back and forth was fair to him."
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Josh Bell signs with Cleveland Guardians in MLB free agency
