2 reasons why the Miami Marlins got a steal in acquiring Josh Bell

If it isn't obvious to you yet, it should be that Josh Bell is the real deal and was a real steal at the trade deadline

New York Yankees v Miami Marlins
New York Yankees v Miami Marlins / Rich Storry/GettyImages
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The Miami Marlins made several moves at the trade deadline and one of the most underrated moves may well be their best.  The Marlins lineup was struggling to score runs prior to the deadline despite their high ranking in the league in hits, and Josh Bell has been the answer.  The biggest issue the Marlins faced in the first half of the season was timely hitting and a weak lineup.  

The Marlins lost their first baseman Garrett Cooper in a trade, but they added Josh Bell the same day.  The Marlins also added Mets closer David Robertson and White Sox slugger Jake Burger at the deadline.  Other big names traded at the deadline were Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Jeimer Candelario.  All those names were highly sought-after players and they all commanded a big payout.  The Marlins might not have the system to propose such a trade, but they added some very good players at the deadline despite that fact.  

What Kim Ng is good at is working with a limited pool and budget to acquire players.  The Marlins didn’t lose any big names in the system this deadline and still added four new players to their roster.  That feat is impressive as it is but the Josh Bell trade truly stands out as a big time add, and for a great price.  Here’s two reasons why the Bell trade was a big time move.  

Price point 

The Miami Marlins added Josh Bell from the Cleveland Guardians for Jean Segura and Khalil Watson.  Khalil Watson is a A ball middle infielder who has been streaky this season.  He is currently playing the best ball of his year, and maybe helped his trade value as a result.  Kim Ng’s move proved to be even more amazing by getting rid of the salary and low performance of Jean Segura.  The fact that she got the Guardians to take on his salary is an amazing g feat.  

Even more significantly the Marlins acquired a premier first baseman who was one of the most sought after players last season.  Now one year removed from the hype, Bell came at a better price and was seemingly unknown as a possibility as no one mentioned him as a trade potential.  Kim really made a big move acquiring him as he has solidified the middle of the order.  The value the Marlins got for a true 3 hole hitter cannot be understated.  Opposing teams definitely now have to account for his production in the middle of the order.  

Production

Josh Bell has been amazing since he joined the Miami Marlins squad and his production has actually increased.  Even though Bell is in the heart of the lineup he is doing lots of damage despite seeing the toughest pitching.  In his first 8 games with the Marlins Bell is hitting .323 with an OPS of 1.077.  He is on fire and not just hitting the ball but he’s got power.  In 35 plate appearances he has 10 total hits, 2 of which are doubles and 3 home runs.  Bell has been on top of his game producing runs as well, as he has 7 RBI and 5 runs scored.  

Not that Bell will certainly keep up his home run percentage but he had only a 2.8% home run rate for Cleveland, he now has an 8.6% with the Marlins.   Bell has also seen both his exit velocity and hard hit percentage rise with the Marlins.  Is it too early to proclaim that the Josh Bell deal was a big win, I don’t think so.  He has helped lead the team in offense and was the spark for comeback wins in the process.  Bell makes the Marlins lineup more dangerous and the fact that Kim Ng got him when he wasn’t a discussed trade piece at all makes it a big time win!  I for one am looking forward to more Bell at-bats as he was my number one trade target last season, and I really love his game. 

Bell has made history with the Marlins, being the first player in franchise history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in one game. Additionally, as I finish writing this, he has yet again hit another home run, this time against the Yankees in tonight's matchup. Bell is on fire, and opponents should be weary of facing him going forward.

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