The Minnesota Twins have refrained from adopting a firm organizational philosophy to this point of the offseason. They are currently hanging onto core members Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez, refusing to commit to a full rebuild. They have also stayed away from the MLB free-agent pool, or at least that was the case until Monday Morning. The organization is in agreement with designated hitter and first baseman Josh Bell for a one-year contact with a mutual option, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The former Silver Slugger and All-Star is the Twins' first MLB signing of the offseason. Bell is well-removed from being the player who was included in the Juan Soto blockbuster trade between the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals in 2022, but he still boasts some power and is inexpensive.
While Minnesota is clearly not interested in spending big, perhaps a low-cost move such as this one can make this club a bit more formidable. If nothing else, Bell should be easy to move ahead of the trade deadline.
How much does new Twins player Josh Bell have left in the tank?
The 33-year-old switch-hitter slashed .237/.325/.417/.741 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs in 140 games for the Nationals last season. He was much more effective hitting from the left side of the plate, but the Twins likely covet the lineup flexibility he can potentially provide them.
If fans were hoping to see Minnesota stake its claim in the American League Central, then the Josh Bell signing is probably not going to elicit much excitement. They should understand how the front office is operating, however. Following an active trade deadline that saw a bevy of players get shipped out of town, the franchise is in an obvious state of transition. The Twins will not enter 2026 as the favorites to win the division. But they are not waving the white flag, either.
Minnesota has remained hesitant to deal away its most valuable assets, which suggests president of baseball operations Derek Falvey is at least open to seeing what this group of guys can do in the first half of next season. Bell's arrival supports that notion.
