Potential trade with Houston Astros adds former All-Star first baseman

The Houston Astros have fought back after a terrible start to the season and are squarely in playoff contention.

With new perspectives on the season comes a new approach to the MLB trade deadline. After people considered becoming sellers, it quickly became clear that they would become buyers.

One of the big question marks on the roster still remains first base. Jon Singleton had his best season and Jose Abreu appears poised to return to the majors, but this group doesn’t inspire much confidence heading into the postseason.

One of the top players at the position who will become available for trade is Miami Marlins slugger Josh Bell.

Bell has turned what was a nightmare season into what could be an attractive trade piece for a team that needs another bat in its lineup.

Over the course of the season, the switch hitter slashed .228/.312/.358. These numbers leave a little to be desired. Early in the season, when Miami was 6-24, he struggled mightily, as did everyone else on the roster. While the team seems to have hit its stride over the past two weeks, Bell has changed the game.

In May, Bell slashed .296/.370/.457. He’s hitting the ball much harder, a nearly 10% increase in hard hit rate between April and May. Despite a drop in his walk rate and a slight increase in his strikeout rate, he is having much more success at the plate and looks much more like the player the league has seen over the past two seasons. The reality of what he will likely be is somewhere in the middle of both halves of his year so far, which is a good player and a good addition.

Bell has become a regular at trade deadlines. He has already played for five teams since 2020 and has been traded in each of the last two seasons. It makes sense, though, as he has found himself on non-competitive teams and a power hitter will always have interest from contenders at the deadline.

The 31-year-old’s biggest problem is his contract. He’s listed for $16.5 million this year, which is expensive for a serial player. The transaction ends after this season, so it is a rental. However, when the Marlins traded Luis Arraez earlier this season, they still took on the bulk of his money for 2024. That will likely come up in negotiations for Bell.

Given his uneven year at the plate and his high price tag, he’ll likely be relatively cheap in terms of the prospects needed to acquire him. It will probably take a mid-bat or two to acquire it.