Former All-Star first baseman Josh Bell is on the Cleveland Guardians trade block, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale. The Guardians just traded RHP Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays, and now Bell is reportedly available as well. Even if Cleveland can't move Bell before the MLB trade deadline, he will still be available in the offseason.
Some fans are surprised to see the Guardians emerge as major sellers right at the MLB trade deadline, considering the team is just half a game back in the AL Central. The Central is baseball's worst division and very winnable for the Guardians. The Minnesota Twins are in first place with just a 54-53 record.
This is Josh Bell's first season in Cleveland; he signed a two-year, $33M deal in the offseason. Any team that acquires Bell will owe him $16.5 million in 2024, so long as he doesn't opt out of the second year of his deal.
However, Bell's production is not so enticing this year. He's hitting just .233 with a .706 OPS and 11 home runs. Still, his potentially big power could be useful for a team looking to add a bit more depth or another bat before October.
Bell showed big power and a lot of potential early in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2019, his lone All-Star campaign, he hit 37 home runs and boasted an OPS+ of 142. However, he's only reached the 20 homers mark once since then and is now on his third team in as many years.
Bell played well in the first half of the 2022 season, before the Washington Nationals traded him to San Diego. He was hitting .301 through 103 games, but his production completely fell off after. He hit just .192 with the San Diego Padres in 53 games.