"A well-liked vet who had a couple of quietly solid years with the Nats in 2021 and 2022 Bell had bounced around unable to get back to levels you want a guy focused on hitting to be at. The reunion looked very dicey as Bell started extremely slow and followed up a good May with a terrible June. But Josh's second half was better and he ended the season very hot putting up a .292 average with 6 homers in the last month."
"The team has no obvious options staring them in the face so it's hard to come up with the presumed plan. which could range from letting kids get hacks to doing a rotating OF situation where the DH is a rest spot to signing just a guy to fill the role. Since the new Nats management has to do SOMETHING one assumes, grabbing a veteran bat late feels like the most reasonable option"
Josh Bell returned as a low-cost DH for 2025, producing a slow start, a poor June, and a strong finish with a .292 average and six homers in the final month. The role served as a bridge, but Bell signed with Minnesota, leaving the Nationals without a clear DH replacement. Lile and Wood both took turns at DH while outfielders rotated to get plate appearances. The organization prefers to keep Wood and Lile in the outfield for greater value, making an early-season DH designation for either unlikely. Options include promoting prospects for playing time, rotating outfielders with a rest-DH spot, or signing a veteran bat; internal candidates named include Yohandy Morales, Harry Ford, Robert Hassell, and Jacob Young, all of whom carry development or performance uncertainty.
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