Texas Rangers: Five trade targets remaining this offseason

1B Josh Bell (Pittsburgh Pirates)

On Monday, the Pirates dealt a rumored Rangers target Starling Marte to the Diamondbacks, another step on the strip it to the bolts rebuild the new front office seems to be embarking on. If that’s the case, Texas could give Pittsburgh a call and see if this rebuild could lead them to parting ways with All-Star Josh Bell. The 27-year old had a breakout season in 2019 emerging as one of the better power hitters in baseball.

Under team control for three more seasons, Bell doesn’t quite fit the timeline of a Pirates rebuild that is sure to take a couple of seasons at minimum. Additionally, from the Pirates perspective, Bell’s value has probably never been higher and capitalizing on his career year may not be a bad idea in terms of a return.

For Texas, Bell would be the offensive upgrade at first base that the club is looking for with questions about Ronald Guzman’s long-term value starting to arise. Bell, defensively, was poor at first base in 2019 posting a -16.4 UZR/150 in over 1100 innings. That raises some concern that he is best set up to be a DH in the long term but the Rangers were willing to take a chance on moving Nick Castellanos to first base. Maybe they feel they have a better way to develop the glove. One thing is for sure, the switch hitters .277 average, .936 OPS and 37 home runs last season would have made him a formidable partner for Joey Gallo in the heart of the order.

As far as what Texas would have to give up, it would require some significant prospects. But perhaps not to the level that it took Arizona to pry Marte from the Pirates which included to of their Top 10 prospects per Baseball America. Marte plays a more premium position and has a better track record of production whereas Bell is a gamble that 2019 is where his future lies rather than an oddity.