First baseman Josh Bell has been traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Washington Nationals, it was announced on Thursday.
In return, the Pirates will get young pitchers Wil Crowe, who made his debut with the Nats in 2020, and Eddy Yean.
“We are delighted to add a player of Josh Bell’s caliber to our team,” National GM Mike Rizzo said in a statement. “He’s adding a power bat to our lineup. And we know Josh will be an excellent addition to our clubhouse and community.”
After a 2019 season setting career highs in nearly every attacking category, Bell, 28, fell back during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .226 with eight home runs and 22 RBI’s.
He made his first All-Star team in 2019, hitting .277 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI’s, and got a hefty pay raise to $ 4.8 million while avoiding arbitration in January.
In five seasons, all with the Pirates, Bell has a .261 career batting average with 86 home runs and 309 RBIs.
Crowe, 26, went 0-2 with an 11.88 ERA in three starts for the Nationals. Yean, 19, is 3-5 with a 4.70 ERA in 20 starts in Washington’s agricultural system.