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The Cleveland Guardians are adding a source of power to their lineup, in the form of Josh Bell. They have agreed to a two-year, $33 million deal, and Bell has the option to opt out of the contract after the first year.
It was a lucrative but short-term deal for someone who struggled mightily in the second half of the season. The Cleveland Guardians were searching for a power hitter that they didn't have to break the bank for. The deal makes sense for both sides.
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In 103 games last season with the Washington Nationals, Bell had a slash line of .301/.384/.493 with 14 home runs. In 53 games he logged with the San Diego Padres, he had a slash line of .192/.316/.271 with three home runs.
His second-half production just wasn't there though. He struggled to see the ball at the plate. This is more than likely the cause of his signing such a short-term contract.
Bell would now be looking to break out next season and show the world his ability to smash baseballs.
"It's a good move for the Guardians, they need that power urgently," one fan explained.
"LETS GO. Now this is a big sgning" said another fan.
Cleveland Guardians fans couldn't be happier with the signing. They believe that Josh Bell was in a slump in San Diego, and that he'll bounce back in Cleveland. If Bell puts up the numbers he did in the first half of the season last year, the Guardians will be in good shape.
Fans of other teams in the American League Central, however, aren't too thrilled to see Cleveland signing Josh Bell. It's a seemingly open division, and the Guardians are the only team that's aggressively trying to get better.
It's tough to stand by as your division rivals get better while your favorite team isn't doing anything.
Did the Cleveland Guardians get better by adding Josh Bell?
Given Josh Bell hasn't been the most consistent power hitter in the league, he's been consistently hard to strike out. In 2022, he had a 15.8% strike-out rate. He'll fit in nicely on a team that had the lowest strikeout rate in 2022 at 18.2%.
He's had three seasons where he's hit at least 20 home runs. He gives a boost to a lineup that struggled to score runs at various points in the season.
Adding Bell gives the team the boost of power they were searching for.
