Josh Bell Could Return to Nationals in This Specific Role
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The Washington Nationals need to figure out how they want to construct their roster.
With tons of young players already in the bigs and others coming up the pipeline who project to be future difference makers, new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni will have some decisions to make this offseason.
He could opt to stick on the current rebuilding path the Nationals have gone down for the last six years, but that also would be a status quo approach that could turn off many in the fanbase after his hire brought some glimmer of hope.
Toboni could also choose to be aggressive and try to go after some high-profile veterans on the open market to augment the roster and provide some more guidance and direction for the young players who have done a whole lot of losing over the years.
If that's the case, then it stands to reason that Josh Bell might not be back in Washington for 2026. However, in the mind of Mark Zuckerman of MASN, there is one role the Nationals might look to use him in next season that could prompt another reunion.
Josh Bell Could Be Used as Part-Time 1B and DH
Because Washington doesn't have a clear direction at first base, it seems like they are going to need a stopgap solution unless they go after someone like Pete Alonso in free agency. That seems unlikely, though, so Bell could be back in some sort of short-term arrangement.
"But perhaps there is an argument for the Nats to consider bringing Bell back as part of that equation. Not as an everyday player, but as a part-time first baseman and part-time DH. He finished the year with an .805 OPS against right-handers (as opposed to .552 vs. lefties). And his defense, while hardly Gold Glove caliber, was better than Lowe's work at first base," wrote Zuckerman.
BELLY pic.twitter.com/KRmffRE7wQ
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 24, 2025
Without an obvious internal option to take over at first base -- outside of Luis Garcia Jr. if both sides are ready to make a permanent position change -- then it stands to reason that the Nationals could have interest in bringing back Bell.
The way he finished last season after starting so slow was also a good sign, slashing .267/.353/.489 following the All-Star Game with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs across 56 games. That included six longballs and 18 RBIs in the month of September alone, which should make his market interesting.
Still, it's not clear if Toboni will want to bring back Bell or not. While the new executive has sung the praises of having veteran players around, he could look to get some new voices in the clubhouse after a long stretch of losing.
But if Bell is going to return to the nation's capital in 2026, then a more specialized role could be what's in store for him with the Nationals.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai