The Twins and slugger Josh Bell agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027, sources confirmed to Twins Daily Monday morning. The first report of the deal came from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, on Twitter. Bell, 33, is a 10-year veteran. A switch-hitter, he can serve as both a first baseman and a DH for the offense-hungry Twins.

Last season, Bell hit .237/.325/.417 for a moribund Nationals team, with 22 home runs in 533 plate appearances. He was a prized selection in the 2011 MLB Draft, but his career has been more peripatetic than expected. A hulking figure in the batter’s box, he’s nonetheless struggled to consistently generate high-level power. He’s a fine (but not spectacular) defender at first base, but most of his value comes from his bat. Bell controls the strike zone well, makes more frequent contact than most hitters of his size and strength, and has the ability to hit the ball exceptionally hard. For most of his career, the limiting factor has been a tendency to hit too many ground balls.

While Bell’s raw numbers for 2025 might appear underwhelming, though, there was a material change this season. From each side of the plate, he increased his bat speed by roughly 2.5 miles per hour and moved his exceptionally deep contact point a bit farther in front of his frame. Those changes make it easier to project strong production from him in 2026, as long as he can maintain those gains for the Twins.

For the Twins, an addition like this one this winter was almost inevitable. They were too thin offensively in 2025, and were especially below-average at the positions where the defensive demands are least and the offensive standards highest. Bell is not a star, at this stage of his career, but he’s a positive clubhouse presence and a versatile offensive piece, capable of slotting into the middle of the lineup for Minnesota regardless of the handedness of that day’s starting pitcher. He nudges Kody Clemens (among others) further toward roles for which they’re better-suited, slightly shielded from same-handed pitching. If the Twins want to contend in 2026, this is the type of signing of wbich they need a couple more over the balance of the offseason.

UPDATE: Jon Heyman of the New York Post says the deal is worth $7 million.

 

Bell was always likely to sign for somewhere between $5 million and $10 million, on a one-year deal. The mutual option doesn’t alter the functional length of the deal; it will just slide a portion of his salary out past the end of the 2026 season, when the Twins can pay it as a buyout on the option year. Bob Nightengale of USA Today has the full breakdown, along with his son, Star Tribune Twins beat reporter Bobby.

That’s quite cheap, as a total package. The Twins should have room, given recent reports about the extent of their financial flexibility amid an ownership transition, to make further additions at the margins of the roster. Bell is a solid pickup, and needn’t be the only or even primary one of the winter.