After going through his second stint with the Washington Nationals during the 2025 season, veteran first baseman Josh Bell agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins on Dec. 15, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"First baseman Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a one-year contract with a mutual option, sources tell ESPN," he reported. "Bell, 33, is a switch hitter who will play at first and DH for a Twins team making its first big league signing of the winter."

First baseman Josh Bell and the Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a one-year contract with a mutual option, sources tell ESPN. Bell, 33, is a switch hitter who will play at first and DH for a Twins team making its first big league signing of the winter.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 15, 2025

Bell has been in the big leagues since 2016 and owns a .256/.342/.444 slash line with 193 homers and 676 RBIs over 1,287 career games. However, he slightly underperformed compared to his averages last season, slashing .239/.326/.421 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs across 140 games.

On the other hand, Bell also made an impact off the field. He published his first-ever children's book, named "What Color Is the Sky?" in July, per MLB.com.

“It’s a question my dad asked me, growing up,” Bell said. “Whenever things were going poorly, whenever I had a bad day at school or a bad game, he’d ask me, ‘What color is the sky?’ He would tell me to look up, stay focused on what’s ahead of me.”

That attitude can help Bell bounce back in Minnesota. The 6-foot-3, 261-pounder is only one year removed from when he excelled in the second half of the 2024 campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, slashing .279/.361/.436 with five homers and 22 RBIs over 41 games after getting traded from the Miami Marlins.

Will Bell get back to that level with the Twins?

Josh Bell Will Have Chance to Be Byron Buxton's Robin

Minnesota could use another major threat in the lineup besides star outfielder Byron Buxton, who led the team in nearly every major offensive category this past season. The 32-year-old slashed .264/.327/.551 with 35 homers, 83 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases over 126 games.

The Twins, who changed their ownership structure this winter, need to make other big-league signings besides Bell if they have any interest in making the playoffs for the first time since 2023. However, he'll have the opportunity to become Buxton's co-star given the team's lack of depth.

Bell was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates No. 61 overall in 2011 and made his MLB debut with the club in 2016. They then traded him to the Nationals in December 2020, who then traded him to the San Diego Padres along with superstar outfielder Juan Soto in August 2022. He then signed with the Cleveland Guardians in December of that year before they traded him to the Marlins in August 2023. Miami then dealt him to Arizona in July 2024, and he then signed a one-year deal with Washington in January 2025.