Reunion Between Josh Bell, Nationals Won't Happen Again This Offseason
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A clear need on this Washington Nationals roster heading into the 2026 campaign is at first base.
With Josh Bell becoming a free agent and Nathaniel Lowe not in the mix after they cut him in the midst of this past season, only Andres Chaparro has any significant experience at that position out of the current 26-man group.
Speculation continues to swirl about a possible position change for second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. after he got some work there to close out the year. But nothing official has suggested that will come. There also has been no word on a possible promotion of 21st-ranked prospect Yohandy Morales, who showed well enough at Triple-A in 2025 that suggested he might get a look.
Because of that, there was a thought the Nationals just might reunite with Bell, opting to bring his veteran leadership and slugging ability back to the clubhouse and lineup as a stopgap solution.
Josh Bells Inks Deal With Minnesota Twins
Well, if that was Washington's plan, they waited a little too long to get something done. Because, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the slugger inked a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins that contains a mutual option for the following season.
Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune and Bob Nightengale of USA Today later added more details about the contract, reporting it's a $7 million guaranteed deal with $5.5 million coming by way of salary, $250K coming via signing bonus and $1.25 million if there is a mutual option buyout.
Josh Bell’s contract:
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 15, 2025
$5.5 million salary
$250K signing bonus
$1.25M mutual option buyout https://t.co/xhe6zZfO8l
For that price, it's frustrating to see Bell go elsewhere if the Nationals were planning on bringing him back. Washington has still yet to make a major league addition to their roster thus far, despite the fact they acquired Harry Ford in a trade for Jose A. Ferrer, who could wind up being their Opening Day starting catcher.
The Nationals were likely never going to be in the sweepstakes for the top names out there like Josh Naylor and Pete Alonso -- both players who got lucrative deals this winter -- but first base is still a position that should be addressed before the start of next season.
How they go about that now is anyone's guess. Ryan O'Hearn has been linked to Washington throughout the winter. But it's unclear if president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is willing to commit that type of money or contract length to the slugger.
Other stopgap solutions like Rhys Hoskins or Paul Goldschmidt or Ty France could be on the table, which would give this team a veteran presence while the new front office assesses their options internally.
Either way, Bell is no longer available for the Nationals when it comes to a reunion, so they'll have to look elsewhere for an outside first baseman.
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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