Nationals Could Reap Benefit of Josh Bell Getting Hot at Right Time

This is exactly what the Washington Nationals wanted to see.

Jul 2, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (19) tosses his bat after drawing a walk against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Nationals Park | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

A fire sale is expected to come from the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline.

While teams would love for them to make MacKenzie Gore available, it doesn't seem like that is going to happen despite this new regime stating they will at least listen to calls on their ace.

The Nationals have started to tell teams which players they are willing to trade, and the usual names have been the ones listed, with Kyle Finnegan, Michael Soroka, Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell being the headliners.

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It's hard to imagine they would get much back in return for that group.

Finnegan is a rental bullpen arm, and despite the strong numbers he's had throughout out his career, the second half issues he's had could cause contenders to balk when it comes to parting with high-end prospects.

Same goes for Soroka, who -- despite his underlying metrics being much stronger than his actual numbers -- has failed to consistently prove he can get outs at the big league level following his multiple injuries.

Lowe is under club control for another season, so theoretically, he could generate a solid return.

However, his OPS+ is under the league average of 100 for the first time in his career, so there are questions if he can be a difference maker on a contending team.

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When it comes to Bell, it looked like Washington would get nothing back for the veteran if they were even able to find a suitor.

He had a brutal start to the year, and his value cratered after proving to be an elite hitter no matter where he was playing.

Fortunately for the Nationals, he has started to get hot right at the perfect time.

Across 16 games in July entering play on Wednesday, he has slashed .358/.452/.566 with two homers, seven RBI and just 10 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 53 at-bats.

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All of a sudden, Bell is back above the league average OPS+ mark, proving once again that he can be an asset with the bat in his hand for whoever he's with.

Washington won't get a haul for the 32-year-old by any means, but if they are able to flip him for someone who can boost their pitching staff down the line, then that is a major plus.

With about a week left before the deadline, the Nationals will have to hope he can continue this hot stretch to show contenders he can boost their lineups.

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