Josh Bell was once considered one of the top prospects in baseball, but since a few failed stints in the Majors he has fallen completely off fantasy owners. Now back with the Diamondbacks, could he finally live up to the potential? Let’s take a look at everything we need to know to reach a conclusion:
- 25-years old
- Switch hitter
- Drafted in the fourth round (136 overall) in 2005 by the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Acquired by Orioles in 2009 in the George Sherrill trade; the Orioles then traded him to Arizona in April for a player to be named later (left-handed Mike Belfiore)
- Made his Major League debut in 2010, going 1-4 on July 1
- On August 21, 2010 hit his first career home run in what was his career day, going 3-4 with 2 HR, 5 RBI and 3 R
- Since trade to Arizona Bell was hitting .381 with 4 HR and 30 RBI in 97 AB at Triple-A (Pacific Coast League), though it came courtesy of a .413 BABIP
- Has always shown power in the minor leagues, including 37 HR in 840 AB at Triple-A
- Once considered among the top prospects in the game; prior to the 2010 season Baseball America ranked him as the Orioles #2 prospect (behind Brian Matusz)
- At that time they said, “In a system lacking in impact bats, Bell fills a huge need. He has above-average power and a good approach, showing the ability to work counts to get on base.”
- His ability to work the count has not been good in the upper levels, as strikeouts have plagued him (34.9% strikeout rate in the Major Leagues, 23.8% at Triple-A); unless he can improve in this department the average is going to suffer
- Does not bring any speed to the table, with 29 SB in 2,417 minor league AB
- Appears primed to be the Diamondbacks starting 3B, moving Ryan Roberts into a utility role; Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic (click here for the article) has a quote from Kirk Gibson saying, “(Bell) will get a lot of playing time, yes,” Gibson. “We’ll see how he adjusts.”
Conclusion:
Bell was once considered the Orioles third baseman of the future, but unless he can make consistent contact against Major League pitching his value is going to be minimal. I know there have been a lot of injuries to third baseman, but I’m just not sure that Bell has the potential to bring enough to the table or that he’s going to be the long-term answer for the Diamondbacks at third.
Would it really be a surprise to see the team go back to Ryan Roberts in two weeks? How about them going out and acquiring a better option (let the Kevin Youkilis rumors begin)?
If you are considering Bell, figure that he’ll be a .250-.260 hitter with 10-15 HR pop at best. As a short-term fill-in, it’s possible that you catch lightning in a bottle as you wait for your starter to come back from injury. However, in shallower formats there should be a better option available to you as the risk is greater then the potential reward.
That said, given his past success and hype, I would definitely keep a close eye on him. It’s not impossible that he’s finally figured it out, though I do have my doubts.
