The Minnesota Twins announced that they have signed first baseman Josh Bell to a one-year contract through 2026, with a mutual option for 2027.
Bell, 33, played in 140 games for the Washington Nationals last season, hitting .237 (111-for-468) with 16 doubles, 22 home runs, 63 RBI, 54 runs scored, a .325 on-base percentage, a .417 slugging percentage and a .741 OPS.
The former All-Star (2019) and Silver Slugger Award winner (2022) ranks fourth among all active switch hitters in RBI; fifth in home runs, hits, extra-base hits (438) and total bases (1,997); and sixth in doubles, walks, OPS and wOBA (.349). Since 2017, the 6-foot-3, 261-pound Bell has played in 1,242 games – tied for ninth most in Major League Baseball – including 887 games at first base, seventh most in baseball during that time.
A native of Irving, Texas, Bell was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round (61st overall) of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft and has played parts of 10 major league seasons with the Pirates (2016-20), Nationals (2021-22, ’25), San Diego Padres (2022), Cleveland Guardians (2023), Miami Marlins (2023-24) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2024). In 1,287 career major league games, he has hit .256 (1153-for-4503) with 225 doubles, 20 triples, 193 home runs, 676 RBI, 604 runs scored, 577 walks, a .341 on-base percentage, a .443 slugging percentage and a .785 OPS. Bell is a two-time Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association Heart and Hustle Award winner (Pirates 2019, Nationals 2022) and was Washington’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2022.
(info courtesy of Twins)
