Josh Bell aims to be key piece in Nationals’ playoff aspirations

When Josh Bell stepped outside to call Ben Cherington back, the first baseman already had an inkling what the Pirates general manager would say on the other end of the line.

“You can get a text on Christmas Eve,” Bell said, “but a phone call is kind of strange to get from a GM that time of year.”

Bell was right. Cherington had called to let Bell know he had been traded to the Washington Nationals, part of a deal that sent two pitching prospects the other way to Pittsburgh. After five seasons with the Pirates — five seasons full of rebuilding and trade deadline rumors and long-term uncertainty — Bell stepped back into his parents’ house to celebrate.

He loved his time in Pittsburgh. But the trade makes Bell a major piece on a team with championship aspirations, adding the kind of middle-of-the-order bat that was high on the offseason wish list. If Bell can play more like his 2019 self than the 2020 version that struggled during the coronavirus-altered campaign, he’ll be a key piece in the Nationals’ lineup.

That’s what Washington general manager Mike Rizzo is banking on, envisioning a player who can recover from a regression in production during an overall bizarre season.

“Analytically, they love him,” Rizzo said. “They love Josh. They loved his performance before. They think he’s a big bounce-back candidate to get back towards those ’19 numbers. We will study his swing and [Kevin] Long and Davey [Martinez] are as good as there is in the business on tweaking and making guys maximize their ability.”

Bell burst out of the gates for the 2019 season, earning an All-Star nomination and featuring in the Home Run Derby. He finished the year with 37 homers and 116 RBIs to accompany a .936 on-base plus slugging percentage.

But even that season can be broken in two parts. During the first 88 games of the campaign, Bell crushed 27 longballs and hit at a .302 clip. Over his final 52 games, Bell’s average dropped to .233 — a manageable but more pedestrian mark compared to the heights of the first three months of the season.

He continued to decline in 2020, launching eight homers with a .226 batting average during 57 games. When Bell looks back at the difference between 2019 and 2020, he points to the modified spring training period, how the season length and start time were altered because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bell also notices how he jumped at the ball rather than waiting back. He compared the mechanical miscue to choosing a seat in a movie theatre — sitting in the back is better than sitting in the first row, yet he moved right up front.

“That doesn’t play at this level, that doesn’t play with guys with high velo,” Bell said. “And just without video and things like that to really be able to dive in at-bat to at-bat, I wasn’t able to make the adjustments in-game that I’d like to. … I’m excited to hopefully put 2020 behind me — I know a lot of players are. So 2021, let’s go.”

Washington sent a pair of right-handers to Pittsburgh to acquire Bell: 26-year-old Wil Crowe and 19-year-old Eddy Yean. Crowe could compete for a rotation spot with the Pirates, but Yean still has a way to go before reaching the major leagues.

The Nationals avoided moving their top two pitching prospects, but Crowe and Yean were high on their prospect rankings, too. MLB.com listed Crowe as Washington’s third-best prospect while Yean was No. 6.

“You’ve got to give to get,” Rizzo said. “And you’re talking about an MVP finalist back in 2019 with two years of control at least for the organization. So you’re going to have to give up players for that. We’ve never been afraid to give up good players to get good players.”

Trading for Bell fills an obvious need at first base for Washington, and Bell qualifies as the big bat Rizzo wanted to sign to help Juan Soto and Trea Turner in the heart of the order. There still could be other moves, though. The Nationals could look to add a corner outfielder and potentially a third baseman, if Carter Kieboom isn’t seen as the answer in 2021.

Rizzo didn’t rule out a reunion with Ryan Zimmerman, either. The first baseman opted out of the 2020 season and is a free agent, but as a right-handed batter and a solid defender, Zimmerman could be a welcome depth piece to accompany Bell, a switch-hitter with better career numbers from the left side.

“We’re never done improving the club, and if we see an opportunity to improve the club offensively, we’ll certainly be aggressive in trying to get that thing done,” Rizzo said. “We still have options in the trade avenues and in the free agent avenues. We’re going to continue to be aggressive and try to put together a championship-caliber club.”

Playing for a team like that will be new for Bell, previously a member of a club that finished above .500 once in the time Bell was there. But the first baseman is eager for this chance, hoping to prove his value as a power hitter and positive clubhouse presence — contributing to wins when they matter most.

“Every baseball player, especially [one] that hasn’t been to the postseason in the past, wants to get to the postseason,” Bell said. “You want to taste the champagne. You want to have all the hard work feel like it’s paying off, then you hunt for more than that.”