Minnesota Twins and first baseman Josh Bell finalize $7 million, 1-year contract

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — First baseman Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a one-year contract worth $7 million.

The sides agreed to terms Monday pending a medical, and the Twins announced the deal Friday.

Bell will receive a $250,000 signing bonus and a $5.5 million salary in 2026, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday. The contract includes a mutual option for 2027 with a $1.25 million buyout for Bell, who also gets a hotel room on trips.

FILE – Washington Nationals' Josh Bell hits a double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Sept. 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kuchin Jr., File)

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because at that stage the deal was still undergoing a successful physical and had not yet been announced.

A reliable and powerful hitter, Bell plans to help fill the void at first base and has been named the Twins' designated hitter in his 11th season in the major leagues. He hit .237 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs this year for Washington.

The Dallas native played at least 140 games in each of his eight full major league seasons, topping 600 appearances five times.

Bell was selected in the second round of the 2011 amateur draft out of high school by Pittsburgh and made his major league debut in 2016. His best season came with the Pirates in 2019, when he made the All-Star team after hitting .277 with 37 home runs, 116 RBIs and a .936 OPS.

He has 193 homers and a .785 OPS in his career, almost all in the National League. Bell has also worked in Miami, Arizona and San Diego. His only American League experience came in 2023 with Cleveland.

Over the past five years, Bell has changed teams seven times, including four trades. The Twins will be his sixth team in less than four years.

This is the third straight offseason in which the Twins have used free agency to find a temporary first baseman, with Bell, 33, following Ty France and Carlos Santana. After France was traded to Toronto on July 31 (one of nine trades the Twins made this week before the trade deadline), Cody Clemens took over the bulk of the playing time at first base.

Clemens, who hit 19 home runs in 112 games and filled second base and all the outfield spots, will likely slide into a reserve role.

While the Twins remain in a state of salary changes for 2026 and beyond and team owners are working to add two new investment groups to help pay down debt, president Derek Falvey said last week at baseball's winter meetings that the front office will not lose any more salary and has a modest budget to replenish the roster.