The Cleveland Guardians recently signed 1B Josh Bell to a 2-year, $33M dollar contract. But for Bell, the decision to play in Cleveland was about more than money. Bell revealed the Jose Ramirez-based reason he signed with the Guardians, per the Guardians Twitter account.
“It's tough to not get that itch, get that want to play with Jose Ramirez,” Bell said.
The Guardians had a pesky lineup in 2022. But Josh Naylor's streaky hitting ability in the cleanup spot provided minimal protection for Jose Ramirez. With Josh Bell set to bat 4th, Ramirez now has legitimate protection behind him in Cleveland's lineup. Bell's powerful presence should lead to better pitches to hit for Ramirez in 2023.
Josh Bell struggled mightily after getting traded from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres last season. However, he hit over .300 in Washington with 14 home runs prior to the trade. The Guardians are banking on Bell performing like he did to start the 2022 campaign.
Cleveland's desire to add pop to the lineup behind Jose Ramirez was apparent from day 1 of free agency. In addition to Bell, the Guardians signed power-hitting catcher Mike Zunino. Bell and Zunino's power will benefit Cleveland's contact-based hitters such as Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario. With Naylor and All-Star Andres Gimenez in the mix as well, the Guardians suddenly feature a respectable batting order.
It will be interesting to see how Cleveland fares in 2023. Guardians fans shouldn't be surprised if Jose Ramirez performs even better next season with legitimate protection surrounding him in the lineup.
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