The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to trade their All-Star first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals, the team announced on Thursday. The Nationals will send prospect pitchers Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean in return.
While the trade might be surprising initially, it made sense from the Pirates’ standpoint to make the deal. Bell struggled in 2020, batting .226 and recording only eight home runs and 22 RBIs in 57 games. He is also on an expiring contract and is set to earn $6 million in 2021.
The Nationals, on the other hand, are hoping they will get the version of Bell from two years ago. In the 2019 MLB season, the 28-year-old slugger had a .277 batting average while knocking 37 homers and 116 RBIs in 143 games.
The Pirates get a nice return in Crowe, who was ranked as the third-best prospect in the Nationals’ farm system. The 26-year-old player made his MLB debut in 2020, starting three times and posting an 11.88 ERA with eight strikeouts. He went 7-10 with a 4.70 ERA in the minors in 2019.
“Wil Crowe commands a solid fastball and several good secondary pitches. He brings a strong reputation and work ethic and has a chance to compete for Major League innings in 2021,” said Pittsburgh’s general manager Ben Cherington.
Yean, on the other hand, has 20 starts in the minors in which he compiled a 3-7 record with 4.70 ERA and 75 strikeouts.
