Cleveland surprisingly won 92 games in 2022, and they are looking to build on it. On Tuesday, they added Josh Bell, signing him to a two-year, $33 million contract. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the story.
The Cleveland Guardians are signing 1B Josh Bell to a 2-year, $33M deal
per @JeffPassan and @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/GaMyDKD49a
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 6, 2022
The hard-hitting first baseman spent last season split between Washington and San Diego. Bell put together an all-star caliber first half of the season with the Nationals. In 103 games, Bell hit .301/.384/493 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs.
He was traded to the Padres along with Juan Soto at the trade deadline. However, Bell’s season took a turn for the worse on the West Coast. He only hit .192/.316/.271 in his 53 games as a Padre. He did have a solid NLCS series against the Philadelphia Phillies, hitting 6-17 with one home run and three RBIs.
Josh Bell is a switch-hitting first baseman that has shown that he can hit consistently. He has two seasons where he placed above the 90th percentile in exit velocity. In addition, Bell ranked above the 80th percentile in hard-hit percentage in his career. He has also shown the ability to get on base, drawing a career-high 81 walks in 2022. He earned his first Silver Slugger Award last season.
Bell brings a different dynamic to the Guardians’ lineup. The Guardians’ offense ranked fourth in the AL with a .254 batting average. However, they did not hit the ball hard, ranking dead last with a 33.1% hard hit percentage and a 4.1%-barrel percentage. Predictably, they also ranked second-to-last in home runs with 127, only ahead of the lowly Detroit Tigers. Josh Bell also helps with the team’s plate discipline. The Guardians ranked in the bottom five in the American League with 480 walks in 2022.
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