Washington Nationals lose Josh Bell to the Twins in free agency

In their hunt for a first baseman, the Nats are no longer going to be able to have Josh Bell as a fall back option. According to multiple reports, Bell will be signing with the Minnesota Twins on a one-year deal with a mutual option for a second year. We will break down what options remain for Paul Toboni.

Last offseason, Mike Rizzo decided to bring back Bell for a second stint with the Nats. He gave Bell a 1-year $6 million deal. For the most part, Bell held up his end of the bargain. He had a brutal April, but played some of his best ball in years after that. After May 1st, Bell hit .267 with 18 homers and an .812 OPS.

Bell was also a strong clubhouse presence for the Nats last year. He was always giving advice to young hitters or doing his great work in the community. Unlike most other additions last offseason, Bell lived up to his deal.

However, he is gone now. The well traveled Bell is checking another team off of his list with the Twins. He is somebody I will always be rooting for regardless of where he plays. Both of his stints with the Nats he started slow, but found a way to turn things around which I love.

With Bell gone, the Nats are going to have to find a new first baseman yet again. We have discussed a couple of the options already. With Josh Naylor and Pete Alonso off the board, Ryan O’Hearn is probably the most ambitious option. He has been very reliable for the last three seasons and was an All-Star last season.

Another guy we discussed is the polarizing Luis Arraez. He is a three time batting champion, but he is a very one dimensional player. There is not much power, speed or defense with Arraez. If the market for him just is not there, he is a guy to consider. For all his flaws, .300 hitters do not grow on trees.

Another player I would throw into the mix is Rhys Hoskins. As most NL East fans know, Hoskins had some great years with the Phillies. He has hit at least 25 homers five times in his career. The Nats have been missing that kind of pop from the first base position for a long time.

Hoskins also draws a ton of walks. Every year he has played in the league, Hoskins has posted a walk rate over 10%. Since tearing his ACL and leaving the Phillies, Hoskins has not quite been the same player, but he has not been bad either. He is entering his age 33 season as well.

This is a player you can bring in on a 1-year deal for a fairly cheap price. In a lineup full of left handed hitters, Hoskins’ righty power could also provide balance to the lineup. He is probably the most realistic option and is a good fit.

A younger, more under the radar option could be Michael Toglia. The 27 year old had a brutal season in 2025, but hit 25 homers for the Rockies in 2024. He had great quality of contact that season and looked like a breakout candidate. However, the wheels really came off for the switch hitter last year.

He would be very cheap, but is also a boom or bust player. Strikeouts have been a big problem for Toglia over the years. However, he could be a guy that Paul Toboni thinks he can unlock. The Rockies have not exactly been known for their player development in recent years.

We will see what happens, but the Nats need a first baseman pretty badly. Unless they decide to make Luis Garcia Jr. a full time first baseman, there is no internal solution right now. Andres Chaparro is a Quad-A player and Yohandy Morales is not ready yet. 

The Nats badly need a stop gap first baseman and one of their clear options is off the board. Josh Bell is a player I have a real soft spot for, but given his defense and inconsistency, it makes sense why Toboni would want to go in another direction. It is time for Paul Toboni to dive into the free agent market though.