Return engagement: Josh Bell & Trevor Williams

[JCA-CrystalCity]

3 out of the past 4 years, he's gotten off to the same start as this year:

March/April Bell stats:
2021: .113 / .200 /.264, 60 PA, 2 HR
2022: .365 / 365 / .460, 89 PA, 2 HR
2023:  .206 / .305 / .392, 118 PA, 3 HR
2024: .181 / .269 / .284, 131 PAs, 3 HR

Bell March April through 4/26:

2025: .135 / .238 / .292, 101 PA, 4 HR.

Dave in Fairfax pulled the 100 PA numbers from 2021:

He's played in 25 of 27 games this season. He is .135 /.238/.292 in 89 ABs/101 PAs, with 4 HR and 12 RBI.

As of his 25th game in 2021, he was .154/.220/.341 in 91 ABs/100 PAs, with 4 HRs and 15 RBI.

It took him until his 33rd game to get above the Mendoza line, and after that his average slowly climbed, ending at .261.

[Smithian]

Josh Bells history says give him more time. But if we’re 150 ABs in and this is what we’re getting out of him then they should punt him. Chaparro, Tena, Yepez, we have other options there.

[Air Desmond]

Bell is worse than Gallo. Putting him in the middle of the order everyday is malpractice. He consistently comes up in big spots and fails.

[imref]

Call up Lile.

[IanRubbish]

Bell is worse than Gallo. Putting him in the middle of the order everyday is malpractice. He consistently comes up in big spots and fails.

He's got incredibly low BABIP.  Not saying he deserves a lineup spot, but he's not the K machine Gallo was. 

[welch]

So Bell should improve in May, but right now, and ignoring that hope, Alex Call hits. Let him share DH with Wood.

[Smithian]

I know it's been a rough couple days, but we're not "give up the season" bad. Josh Bell needs to be off the island. I'll allow for understanding giving him another week or so, but then it's "I'm Bad" phantom injury DL or DFA him.

Juan Yepez's 2024 stat line would look great on this roster right now. He's struggled in Rochester, but I'd be okay considering Hassell Jr. Maybe this is the Brady House moment and you move Tena to DH.

We have options. I don't need another Nelson Cruz situation.

[IanRubbish]

I know it's been a rough couple days, but we're not "give up the season" bad. Josh Bell needs to be off the island. I'll allow for understanding giving him another week or so, but then it's "I'm Bad" phantom injury DL or DFA him.

Juan Yepez's 2024 stat line would look great on this roster right now. He's struggled in Rochester, but I'd be okay considering Hassell Jr. Maybe this is the Brady House moment and you move Tena to DH.

We have options. I don't need another Nelson Cruz situation.

Josh Bell is going nowhere, just like Joey Gallo last year.  As I mentioned earlier, he's had some bad luck with BABIP.  But more importantly, Rizzo convinced Mini Me to spend $6 million on him, which means he will be playing more that he deserves, as $5 million Joey Gallo did last year.  Need to get down to $2 million and down to have a real chance at getting cut, and even then you'll Senzel more playing time than deserved.

[imref]

An argument that Bell has already cost us at least one win:

https://www.talknats.com/2025/05/02/do-you-want-consistently-good-or-streaky-great-in-baseball/

[English Natsie]

A pretty harsh assessment, during commentary, by the Reds booth crew on Bell's 'unhappy reunion with the Nationals'. They claimed that the problem is when an older player knows they're getting 'over-the-hill' they begin to over-predict pitches, in order to compensate, so they end up swinging too high and too early...

[IanRubbish]

An argument that Bell has already cost us at least one win:

https://www.talknats.com/2025/05/02/do-you-want-consistently-good-or-streaky-great-in-baseball/

All sounded ok until they said "he's working with Darnell".