The New York Yankees may consider Josh Bell in a midseason trade in an effort to increase first base output.
To begin the season, the New York Yankees have risen to the top of the AL East thanks to the offensive prowess of Juan Soto and unexpected contributions from Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Volpe.
However, three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo, a veteran, has not displayed the kind of slugging ability that the Cubs had hoped for, with his career slash line of just.240/.313/.307 in 75 at-bats.
His on-base percentage is at its lowest point since his rookie campaign, and if he is unable to improve his offensive output, the organization may consider trading for a first baseman to aid at the position.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, who projects the optimum landing destinations for MLB’s top trade targets, suggested that the Yankees and the Miami Marlins trade for slugger Josh Bell in order to get Bell as a replacement for Rizzo.
Bell, who is in the last season of a two-year, $33 million contract, is likely to be traded this summer given the Marlins’ dismal start in 2024, according to Kelly. Bell might also be a good fit for the Yakees in the event that Giancarlo Stanton and/or Rizzo don’t get hot.
Josh Bell, a former Silver Slugger, might provide the New York Yankees a midseason boost.
Bell is a.258/.346/.451 hitter in nine big-league seasons. He was nominated for an All-Star team in 2019 and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2022. With two home runs and seven RBI thus far in 2024, his bat may not appear to be an improvement over Rizzo’s, but the switch hitter has a history of igniting teams in the middle of the season, and his bat started out cold the previous season before heating up significantly.
Josh Bell has played for several of the sport’s lower-budget teams, and Kelly noted that Bell has frequently been on the losing end of those teams’ wage cuts when they’re not winning. Bell’s bat is extraordinarily cool to start the season for the second year in a row.
However, in the second half of 2023, he recorded an OPS just below.800, which enabled the offensively challenged Marlins to qualify for the postseason for just the fourth time in team history.
Talks for a midseason trade between the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees appear to be open.
The Yankees appear to be considering midseason changes if general manager Brian Cashman sees a chance for the team to improve as they try to put a dismal 2023 season behind them and make the playoffs this year.
The Marlins, for their part, seem amenable to almost any chance to trim payroll and restock for the future, especially in light of the fact that they have already dealt seasoned player Jon Berti to the Yankees.
Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic stated, “No, it is not too early to see the Miami Marlins as a trade-deadline seller, not when they have already traded one veteran player and entertained offers for some of their biggest stars.
First-year general manager Peter Bendix almost probably will be more ready to disassemble his roster if their play does not improve.
The Yankees may face competition at the deadline if they decide to pursue Bell. The Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins were mentioned by Kelly as additional excellent destinations for the slugger; however, it appears that the Cubs have found their current and future first baseman in Michael Busch.
