This can be a commerce article, because the Diamondbacks acquired Josh Bell from the Marlins as we speak in change for money concerns. It’s additionally an damage article, sadly. Christian Walker departed final evening’s D-backs/Nationals sport with an indirect damage, and was due for an MRI this morning. The outcomes haven’t been made public but, however buying and selling for Bell is a press release in and of itself, so let’s stroll by way of the commerce and damage together.
Walker has quietly been the second-best first baseman within the sport over the previous three years. I don’t imply that hyperbolically; he’s second solely to Freddie Freeman in WAR over that point interval. He’s carried out it with good offense and outrageous, comically good first base protection. I don’t assume I’m promoting this sufficient. Per Statcast, Walker has been 38 outs above common over that point interval. Carlos Santana is second… with 17. DRS scores it 33-20 in Walker’s favor, with Matt Olson at 21. Nonetheless you have a look at it, Walker is head and shoulders above everybody else on the place. Final evening, he made a standard-for-him, spectacular-for-most play on a foul ball:
After that inning, he got here again to the dugout and departed the sport. Now we and the Diamondbacks can solely wait to listen to the damage information.
Previous to this commerce, the D-backs really has no plan behind Walker. Kevin Newman – sure, the light-hitting former Pittsburgh shortstop – is their nominal backup first baseman. Pavin Smith is down in Triple-A, however Arizona sees him as not more than a bench bat. Enter Bell, who’s on his third straight 12 months of being a deadline acquisition, with lowering fanfare every time.
In 2022, Bell was completely on fireplace in Washington when the Padres got here calling. He was a part of the Juan Soto deal, and a key addition to San Diego’s lineup. With a 144 wRC+ and spectacular batted ball metrics, he regarded like he was lastly placing collectively the potential he’s flashed all through his main league profession.
Bell ended that season in a hunch, then signed a two-year deal to man first base in Cleveland. He struggled out of the gate earlier than getting flipped to Miami for a lightweight return. The Marlins made the playoffs with Bell gathering some large hits down the stretch, however the shine wore off after he declined to train an choose out within the offseason. He’s on observe for his worst full season ever, and with the playoffs squarely out of the image in Miami, the Marlins had been merely on the lookout for somebody to offer them wage reduction.
Which may sound like a grim portent for the Diamondbacks, and perhaps it’s. However Bell’s worst offensive season works out to a 96 wRC+, whereas Newman’s profession line checks in at 78. He’s nonetheless a significant improve, and it’s affordable to anticipate some bounce-back. In any case, his established profession degree is that of a league common first baseman, and a few of this 12 months’s underperformance comes all the way down to BABIP luck, or lack thereof.
As you may anticipate of somebody who was traded for money concerns, Bell wasn’t in excessive demand throughout the league. Justin Turner is the same class of hitter — defensively restricted however prone to return barely above-average worth on the plate. He received traded for a pure lottery ticket, and he’s incomes lower than Bell this 12 months whereas taking part in higher. Playoff contenders often don’t have a lot use for these fringe-y bats.
The Mariners had been a particular case due to their total lack of offense. The Diamondbacks are a particular case as a result of their roster was arrange with no actual backup plan if Walker received damage. He’s been remarkably sturdy — Walked performed in 157 video games in 2023 and 160 in 2022, and previous to the damage, he’d appeared in each D-backs sport this season — and their DH state of affairs occurred to characteristic hulking outfield sorts as a substitute of hulking nook infielders. Walker could be again shortly, but when he had been to overlook plenty of time, the Diamondbacks would have an enormous gap of their lineup. With Bell within the fold, that danger is meaningfully mitigated. He’s clearly not so good as Walker, however he’s miles forward of their particular alternative degree.
There’s extra to love about this deal for the Snakes, even. Even when Walker returns in every week or two, Bell could be a helpful roster piece. Walker is the one Diamondback at the moment damage, however Alek Thomas missed a piece of the season, Geraldo Perdomo missed two months early within the 12 months, they usually have their fair proportion of older contributors who may use extra relaxation than they’re at the moment getting. Bell isn’t an ideal slot in that he can solely play first and DH, however even when he’s only a platoon companion for Joc Pederson, that frees up Randal Grichuk to pitch in within the outfield. Each little bit helps once you’re proper on the sting of the playoffs.
All of that assumes that Bell will likely be a invaluable hitter, and there are indicators that could be the case. He’s lengthy been one of many streakiest gamers in baseball, and he’s sizzling in the intervening time, with 5 homers and a .342/.444/.763 slash line in his final 10 video games. He has plus energy and when he’s tapping into it, he is usually a fearsome bat. Perhaps final 12 months will likely be a template; after the desultory stint in Cleveland that received him dumped for spare elements, he slashed .270/.338/.480 down the stretch as one in all Miami’s greatest hitters.
I don’t assume that Bell will likely be a lineup common after Walker returns, however I nonetheless assume he’ll be a pleasant addition to the group. He can play first base for a couple of weeks (hopefully no more) whereas Walker recovers. When rosters increase in September, a pinch-hitter and platoon DH will likely be an inexpensive use of a roster spot. Including that participant to a group that may’t afford many accidents, and at such a low value, is a prudent use of sources.
That doesn’t make it any much less of a bummer that Walker received damage, after all. He’s been churning out top-tier worth at first base for years. He was on tempo for his greatest season simply in time to hit free company on the ripe previous age of 33. We wrote about his fantastic stroll 12 months simply two weeks in the past. The timing stinks.
Hopefully, the Bell acquisition is only a prudent hedge by the D-backs entrance workplace. Hopefully Walker returns unscathed and picks up proper the place he left off. However he occurred to get damage earlier than the commerce deadline, and there occurred to be an appropriate alternative out there for nothing greater than cash the very subsequent day. Including Bell was a no brainer for the group, and I believe that everybody will stroll away from this one blissful even when Walker’s again in a blink.
