Noted Phillie killer Josh Bell is reportedly returning to the National League East.
The veteran first baseman, a solid switch hitter who has elevated his performance against Philadelphia throughout his career, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Bell will make $6 million in his second stint in Washington.
A .258 hitter with 171 home runs and a .790 OPS in nine big-league seasons, Bell has hit .260 with 15 home runs and an .883 OPS in 69 career regular-season games against the Phillies. His postseason track record in two playoff series versus Philadelphia is even stronger.
In the 2022 NL Championship Series as a member of the San Diego Padres, Bell slashed .353/.353/.588 with a home run and three RBIs in five games. The next season with the Miami Marlins, he went 4-for-8 with two doubles in two Wild Card Series games at Citizens Bank Park. Although the Phillies ultimately won both matchups, Bell was a dangerous performer in key spots and a difficult hitter to get out.
Bell, 32, played his first five years in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was an All-Star in 2019. He joined the Nationals in 2021 before he was traded to San Diego during the next season. He began 2023 with the Cleveland Guardians and was later traded to the Marlins, who then dealt him to the Arizona Diamondbacks this past July.
Historically productive at the plate, Bell’s hitting has dipped to around league average over the past two years with a .734 OPS and a 99 OPS+ in 2023 and 2024 combined. He’ll likely slot in as the designated hitter and the oldest regular on a rebuilding Nationals team that also recently traded for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.
A bounce-back season could help Bell cash in with a larger contract next winter — or could possibly land him in yet another trade this summer if the Nationals are once again out of contention. If the past is any indicator, some added divisional contests against the Phillies should be a help. Philadelphia and Washington open the 2025 season on March 27 at Nationals Park.
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