An undated picture of Veteran first baseman Josh Bell. — Reuters
MINNEAPOLIS: Veteran first baseman Josh Bell, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, has signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins, the club announced on Friday.
The deal marks Bell’s move to a seventh MLB team as he prepares to begin his 11th major league season.
The contract includes a mutual option for 2027 and is reportedly worth $7 million.
Bell, 33, played for the Washington Nationals for a second stint in 2025, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 63 runs, though he slumped to a .237 batting average over 140 games.
Among active switch-hitters, Bell ranks fourth in RBIs (676) and fifth in home runs (193), hits (1,153), and extra-base hits (438).
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Bell made his major league debut for Pittsburgh in 2016 and recorded 26 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2017.
He earned All-Star honours as a Pirate in 2019, posting career highs with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs. Bell also captured a Silver Slugger Award in 2022 while splitting the season between Washington and San Diego.
Over his career, Bell has played for Pittsburgh (2016–20), Washington (2021–22, 2025), San Diego (2022), Cleveland (2023), Miami (2024), and Arizona (2024).
He has a career .256 hitter with a .444 slugging percentage and a .786 OPS.
It is pertinent to mention that the Twins signed France late last winter to a non-guaranteed deal, and he served as their primary first baseman until he was dealt to Toronto at the Trade Deadline.