What Plans Do Nationals Have for Veteran Slugger Josh Bell the Rest of Season?

The Washington Nationals made a few moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year, but most of the action came with their pitching staff.

Four pitchers, Michael Soroka, Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia and Kyle Finnegan, were on the move in three deals. Only two positional players, outfielder Alex Call and utilityman Amed Rosario, were traded.

Rumors swirled involving first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, designated hitter Josh Bell and veteran infielder Paul DeJong, but deals weren’t made.

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Out of those three, Lowe is the only one who is controllable beyond 2025, making some interesting decisions for interim manager Miguel Cairo.

Will they continue playing a veteran such as Bell, whose future almost certainly isn’t with the Nationals since he is set to hit free agency again this winter?

This was the first time since 2021, in his first stint with Washington, that Bell wasn’t traded ahead of the deadline. 

For three years running, he changed teams during the season, but a slow start to 2025 likely derailed any real interest in him around the league, despite him heating up in July.

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That recent hot streak is enough that Cairo has no plans on scaling back Bell’s playing time. In fact, they are expanding his responsibilities, with the veteran slugger set to start playing first base more.