The Minnesota Twins have agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with free-agent first baseman and designated hitter Josh Bell, including a mutual option for 2027. The deal addresses a key need at first base for the team. Bell brings veteran power after a solid 2025 season with the Washington Nationals.
The Minnesota Twins filled a significant gap in their lineup by agreeing to terms with Josh Bell on Monday. The contract is for one year at $7 million, with a mutual option for 2027, according to sources. The Twins have not yet confirmed the agreement. This move adds a switch-hitting slugger to a position where Minnesota lacked production last season.
Bell, who played for the Washington Nationals in 2025, posted a .237/.325/.417 slash line across 140 games, resulting in a 110 OPS+. He hit 22 home runs, tying his highest total since 2021, and achieved a .747 OPS, his best full-season mark since 2022. His 47% hard-hit rate was the highest since 2021, and his .497 expected slugging percentage topped his figures since 2019. Bell also showed strong on-base skills with a 10.7% walk rate, above the league average of 8.4%, and a 16.5% strikeout rate, well below the 22% league mark.
He finished the year hot, batting .339 with six homers and a 1.083 OPS in his final 20 games, including a standout four-hit, two-homer, six-RBI performance against the Miami Marlins on September 8. As a switch-hitter, Bell was far more effective from the left side (.804 OPS) than the right (.552 OPS). He appeared mostly as a designated hitter, starting 32 of 33 games at first base.
Minnesota's first basemen struggled in 2025 with a .240/.307/.371 line and .678 OPS, ranking 25th in baseball. The team cycled through starters recently: Miguel Sanó in 2022, Joey Gallo in 2023, Carlos Santana in 2024, and Ty France in 2025. France, signed to a non-guaranteed deal last winter, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, with Kody Clemens filling in afterward. Bell's signing likely shifts Clemens back to a utility role.
