{"id":78145,"date":"2025-08-15T09:11:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78145"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T09:11:16","slug":"potential-waiver-wire-slugger-could-give-boston-a-playoff-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78145","title":{"rendered":"Potential Waiver-Wire Slugger Could Give Boston a Playoff Boost"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Josh-Bell.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Josh-Bell.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Josh-Bell.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Josh-Bell.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Potential Waiver-Wire Slugger Could Give Boston a Playoff Boost\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Josh Bell <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> avoided the dubious distinction of being traded for a fourth straight year. But that doesn\u2019t mean his annual change-of-address tour is over just yet.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With the <\/span>Washington Nationals <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> buried near the <\/span>bottom of the standings <span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the waiver wire could soon become their roster-cleaning tool of choice. The first domino already fell Thursday when first baseman Nathaniel Lowe was <\/span>designated for assignment <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 and more moves are expected to follow.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">According to Bleacher Report\u2019s latest list of <\/span>likely waiver candidates <span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Bell tops the board. The 33-year-old first baseman\/DH has worn six different uniforms in his 10-year career, and he might be headed for a seventh.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If the Nationals cut him loose, FanSided\u2019s Zachary Rotman thinks the <\/span>Boston Red Sox <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> should pounce and <\/span>add him for the stretch run <span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThere\u2019s no guarantee that the Nationals will make him available or that Bell will even fall to Boston\u2019s place in the waiver order, but if they have the chance to claim him, Craig Breslow shouldn\u2019t hesitate,\u201d Rotman wrote. \u201cAdding a substantial upgrade could help give the red-hot Red Sox the jolt they need to pass the Blue Jays and win the division.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Washington Nationals Predicted to Put First Baseman Josh Bell on Waivers<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s not hard to imagine Bell being a substantial upgrade for the Red Sox.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Boston\u2019s first base picture hasn\u2019t exactly inspired confidence. Since Triston Casas <\/span>went down in early May <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> with a rupture of his left patellar tendon, the team has leaned primarily on <\/span>Abraham Toro, <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> with support from <\/span>Romy Gonzalez <span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Toro had his moments early, but <\/span>he\u2019s cooled off <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to a .689 OPS on the year. Since the All-Star break, Toro has posted an OPS of .559, pulled down even further by an August slide of .509.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Meanwhile, Bell, whose average sat below the Mendoza Line for the first half of the season, started to heat up in July. Over the past several weeks, Bell posted a slash line of .333\/.445\/.525 slash line, with a Weighted Runs Created Plus of 176, which ranks eighth in all of MLB since July and would be tops on the Red Sox roster.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Suddenly, that \u201csneaky pickup\u201d of Bell becomes less of a shot in the dark and more like an adrenaline shot to get Boston across the finish line. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Adding Josh Bell Could Give Red Sox Much-Needed Slug<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A switch-hitter, Bell brings spray-chart versatility and raw pop \u2013 something Toro simply hasn\u2019t delivered. And while Gonzalez can prove useful in a platoon situation, especially against lefty arms, the Red Sox need a righty-compatible slug. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Toro\u2019s glove and bat combo just isn\u2019t the solace it once was. Even heavy-duty fans are whispering that Toro\u2019s time might be up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Should Washington take the waiver loss \u2013 and the Nationals are looking to clear salary \u2013 Boston would be wise to stand at the ready. Waiver rules still allow them to gear up before the postseason rosters are sealed on August 31. And while Bell might walk after the season, the short-term gains could be monumentally worth it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So yeah, Bell may have dodged the trade deadline, but he hasn\u2019t escaped change yet. And for the Red Sox, that change could be exactly what they need.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dave Benson is a veteran writer with over three decades of journalism experience covering sports primarily in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent several years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the Washington Nationals expected to put Josh Bell on waivers, an MLB analyst urges the Boston Red Sox to make a &#8216;sneaky pickup.&#8217;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78165,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Potential Waiver-Wire Slugger Could Give Boston a Playoff Boost - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=78145\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Potential Waiver-Wire Slugger Could Give Boston a Playoff Boost - 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