Earlier this month, the San Diego Padres made a move to acquire Josh Bell along with Juan Soto via trade.
It was apparent that Bell needed to be a part of a team that had a shot at making the postseason. And now he is in that position.
The switch hitting slugger has been swinging a hot bat as of late, a big reason why the Padres pursued him.
Before Bell was on the move to the Padres, trade talks were looming and he was well aware, but now that it’s all over he’s glad to be with the team and have Soto with him.
“Then everything goes down and I was definitely happy to be able to share a flight with Juan and talk about it a little bit and tour the stadium, tour San Diego with Juan before we put on the uniform for the first time,” Bell said in an article from The San Diego Union-Tribune. “ It’s definitely nice having a teammate come across with you as you’re shaking hands for the first time and seeing new faces.”
During the team’s recent series against the Kansas City Royals, the Padres won two out of the three games and Bell recorded a hit in all three games.
He finished the series going 4-for-11 with two RBI.
For San Diego, each game is important given what’s at stake. And Bell is 100% in to help the Padres make this run.
When he first joined the team, he struggled at the plate, but he’s found that success again.
And this could not have happened at a more perfect time.
On paper, offensively, the Padres have one of the best lineups in the league, They already had high production guys such as Manny Machado and Trent Grisham. Adding Bell and Soto potentially puts them on another level.
If Bell can continue to have the success at the plate that he’s had recently, then the Padres should win a good amount of their remaining games.
Now, another factor that’s important is the pitching, but you have to score runs to win games and having Bell is a big plus in that department.
September is going to be an eventful month for the Padres and Bell will be a player that the league will be keeping under close surveillance.
