Sources: Short-handed D-backs land Marlins' Bell
Written by I Dig SportsThe Arizona Diamondbacks have an agreement in place to acquire veteran first baseman Josh Bell from the Miami Marlins, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, confirming reports in the aftermath of an injury by Christian Walker late Monday night.
The Marlins are expected to absorb a lot of the $5.5 million owed to Bell for the rest of this season, in what is essentially a cash deal. Bell was placed on waivers by the Marlins over the weekend.
Walker had to leave Arizona's comeback win on Monday with an oblique injury, and he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday. The Arizona Republic reported that the news on Walker was better than expected, but he is still expected to land on the injured list.
Bell, who turns 32 in August, is hitting .239 with 14 homers this season. He has repeatedly moved to contenders in recent years in midseason deals -- to the San Diego Padres in 2022, the Marlins last year, and this year, to the Diamondbacks, who have surged of late. Arizona has won seven of 10 games since the All-Star break. Bell has 166 career homers and 1,003 hits.
Mike Hazen, the head of baseball operations for Arizona, has indicated to reporters he wanted to make deals that would improve the chances of getting the Diamondbacks back to the postseason this season. He made a deal for lefty reliever A.J. Puk -- another transaction made with the Marlins.