The Nationals have a Josh Bell problem, the question is how are they going to solve it
Josh Bell had a great run in 2021 and 2022 with the Nats. However, his second stint is DC has not gone well so far. The big slugger looks like a shell of the player he was back in his first stint with the team. His at bats are uncompetitive and he simply looks over the hill.
Yes, Bell had a brutal first month in 2021 before heating up and having a great season, but this feels different. For one thing, Bell was not on a multi-year decline and in his 30’s during that 2021 season. Bell has put up negative WAR in each of the last two seasons. However, he has shown flashes with the bat, so the Nats thought he could revive his career back in DC.
That has not been the case at all. Bell is hitting a dismal .137 with a .503 OPS. He is 6/58 in his last 15 games. For whatever reason, Davey Martinez insists on having him hit in the middle of the lineup. As you would expect from a player in the middle of the order, he comes up in a lot of big spots. In those spots, he has never come through, or even put up competitive at bats.
At the very least, Bell has to hit at the bottom of the order and not play against lefties who is is 2/25 against. Having Bell in the middle of the order doesn’t do anyone any good. Bell needs some lower stress reps at the bottom of the order. He could also use a few days off. It is just not happening for him. Yes, he can get hot, but Nats leadership needs to accept that he is not the player he once was.
Bell has been killing the team, and he knows it. He told the Post that if he was hitting even .200, the Nats could be an above .500 team. I am not sure I would go that far, but the Nats would be a bit better if he was even giving them mediocre production.
That type of accountability is why I love Josh Bell. He seems like a great character and a great person to have around this young locker room. However, this is a production business and he is not producing. It is sad to see a former fan favorite look like this and take a lot of heat from the fanbase, but that is what happens when you are hitting under .140.
Bell has enough of a track record to give him more time. Anyone can have one bad month, but if one bad month turns into two bad months, it should be time to cut bait. With guys like Eddie Rosario and Corey Dickerson, Mike Rizzo held onto them for too long and had them in the lineup too regularly. Everyone knew that those guys weren’t getting the job done, but the Nats kept rolling with them until there was no other solution but to cut them.
Hopefully it does not get to that point with Bell, but it is not looking good right now. Josh Bell looks like he is an old 32, and has continued his steady decline since leaving DC. It might not be time to cut bait, but can we please move him down in the lineup.