The Washington Nationals certainly took some steps towards contention this season. While they are no longer in the mix, they hung around in the National League Wild Card race until the end of July.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report expects them to actually spend some money this offseason and focus their efforts on building a contending ballclub, not unlike the Kansas City Royals last offseason.
When listing possible fits, Miller included a former Nationals slugger they could reunite with, though not the one that many were expecting to hear.
"Even though they have more than enough room in the budget to make it work, it just doesn't make much sense for a Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Blake Snell, or Alex Bregman to land in the nation's capital right now. A reunion with Juan Soto feels even more far-fetched," Miller wrote. "They should be in the mix for a lot of that next tier of players who figure to go in the $5-12 million per year range, though. A reunion with Josh Bell at first base would make sense."
Bell has enjoyed a nice bounce-back season this year. The Miami Marlins traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he has continued to produce at the plate.
The 32-year-old is hitting .246 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, and a .715 OPS. He would also bring power from both sides of the plate and a veteran voice for several of the young stars in the Nationals clubhouse.
The team is still very young and does need some experience in the clubhouse. Having spent time with the Nationals in 2021 and 2022, Bell would be a good fit in the nation's capital.
He won't generate the same buzz or have as competitive of a market as Soto, but he is somebody that could help the Nationals take the next step as they try to build a contender for 2025 and beyond.
We'll see if they are in the running for Bell.
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