Toronto Blue Jays trade talk: Examining the fit for Josh Bell
The Toronto Blue Jays need a left-handed bat to help balance out their right-handed-heavy lineup. They also need to add as much firepower as they can if they’re to get past the New York Yankees in their own division as well as the Yankees, Houston Astros, and other American League contenders if they want to reach the World Series.
With all of that in mind, is Josh Bell of the Washington Nationals a perfect trade candidate for the Toronto Blue Jays?
Bell, who will turn 30 in August, is having a tremendous season for the Nationals, slashing .328/.418/.473 in 131 at-bats heading into Wednesday’s action. He’s also making $10 million on a one-year deal that expires after this season for a franchise that can already forget about making the 2022 postseason.
A switch hitter, Bell is slashing .361/.444/.547 from the left side of the plate this season, and all four of his home runs have come from that side. Bell would likely slot into the middle of the Toronto lineup, with the left-handed bat giving a different look to a Blue Jays lineup that has seen trade acquisition Raimel Tapia play in the most games of any left-handed bat on the roster (31). Tapia, however, has produced minus-0.4 bWAR in his first season in Toronto.
On the offensive and salary fronts, Bell seems to be a perfect fit for the Toronto Blue Jays as MLB insider Jeff Passan recently discussed. But where exactly would Bell, a first baseman, fit into the lineup that already has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holding down that position? It’s likely that, if the Blue Jays were to make a trade with the Nationals, Bell and Guerrero Jr. would balance between first base and the designated hitter position.
Designated hitter is a position where the Blue Jays could use an upgrade. Entering Wednesday, Toronto’s DH position (which has been filled by seven players so far this season, with Zack Collins (40 plate appearances) and George Springer (39 plate appearances) leading the way) had produced 0.1 bWAR. While that’s tied for eighth in MLB among all DH tandems, it’s still well behind the Astros (0.9) and Yankees (0.8) at the position.
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With Washington looking to rebuild and hoping to sign Juan Soto to an extension to serve as the centerpiece of that rebuild, Bell will likely cost the Blue Jays some prospects who are close to making their MLB debuts. Look for the Nationals to hold a high price over any acquisition of Bell and for plenty of teams to be interested in his services. However, the fit with Toronto seems too good for a Blue Jays team built to win now to pass up.