budget is not an issue. I don't see the call "he's back if he's $8 million in arb but not if he's $10 million or more." He's not doubling his contract in arb off of this year. Rather than this being a budget issue, it's whether he's making himself too valuable to keep for next year rather trade.
I really don't see the ownership telling Rizzo, "you have $100 million, not $103 million, so Bell must go."
Our payroll after next season is pretty damn low. The question isn't "Can we afford Bell?" it is do they think he is worth locking down 1B into the second half of the 2020's. I say yes, especially since DH seems inevitable.
