Josh Bell has been traded from the Nationals to the Pirates for Will Crowe and Eddy Jean. The Nationals have been looking for a big bat ever since the departures of Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon over the past couple of seasons.

Bell had a disappointing 2019 season, only hitting eight HRs, 22 RBIs, with a .226 AVG in 57 games but had a monster 2019 season with 37 long balls, 116 RBIs, and a .277 AVG. So, the question needs to be asked, what player are the Nationals getting? Bell will find himself in a comfortable place in the batting order, likely hitting right in front of or behind superstar Juan Soto. Bell also finds himself on a team that won the World Series in 2019, not the perennial bottom feeder in the Pirates. The bad news, however, is that the National League East is loaded with top-notch starting pitching from the Mets, Braves, Phillies, and even the Marlins.

The trade for Bell has yet to move the needle as far as the National’s chances of winning the World Series are concerned as they are +3200. That leaves them behind the Braves (+900) and Mets (+1700) and just ahead of the Phillies (+3500).

Before this trade, Bell was considered to be a top 20 first-baseman for fantasy baseball. While this trade should help his production, it’s still unlikely to make him anything more than a corner infielder or utility player as first-base is a fairly stacked position, especially when you consider all the players who are eligible there.