The San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals have agreed in principle on a deal that will send outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the Padres, according to sources. ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting that the Padres will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood and right-hander Jarlin Susana to Washington in the package. One other major-leaguer will also be involved, which is the only current holdup. Soto is only 23 years old and is already one of the best all-around hitters in the game, while Bell will also be an upgrade for the Friars at first base over Eric Hosmer, who could be dealt in a separate deal. The Padres were already contenders, but the addition of both Soto and Bell takes them to another level.

There is a growing sense that the San Diego Padres are the most likely landing spot for Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and perhaps first baseman Josh Bell, too, as Tuesday's trade deadline approaches. Multiple people have heard there is momentum in the Padres' talks for Soto and Bell. The Athletic's Jim Bowden reports a potential deal would cost the Padres a package including shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder Robert Hassel III, left-hander Adrian Morejon and two other prospects. It seems like a pretty cheap deal for Soto himself, let alone Soto and Bell. The Dodgers and Cardinals are the other teams in the mix for Soto, who would be an absolute difference-maker down the stretch for any contending team this year. Stay tuned.

According to a tweet from SNY's Andy Martino, "There has been no momentum in Josh Bell/Mets talks to date as Mets continue to scout Trey Mancini." Bell is currently enjoying a strong season for the division-rival Washington Nationals, hitting .305 with a .388 on-base percentage and 13 home runs in 407 plate appearances. He's only played first base this season but did see some time in the outfield last year for Washington. New York obviously has Pete Alonso entrenched at first base but could use reinforcements at designated hitter, where they've mostly played either J.D. Davis or Dominic Smith. The team also recently acquired Dan Vogelbach from the Pirates.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is likely to be on the move here soon. The 31-year-old has been hot at the plate this season, so the Nats are likely going to cash-in on his value. As of right now, the New York Mets and Houston Astros are reportedly pursuing Bell. The Mets have also been linked to Daniel Vogelbach, C.J. Cron, Nelson Cruz and Trey Mancini. Clearly, they want to add a slugger at the deadline and Bell could be a perfect fit. As for Houston, Bell could be an upgrade with Yuli Gurriel struggling and Michael Brantley battling injuries. Fantasy managers should expect the Nats to trade the impending free agent before the deadline. A move to a contender could actually increase his value.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell went deep Thursday, bringing his season home run total to 13. He was 2-for-5 at the plate in a 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Bell has been a bright spot in a very disappointing season for Washington, and it could result in him being traded at the deadline. While his .868 OPS will play on any roster, he could be in for a solid jump in counting stats should he end up on a team with a stronger offense.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell went 1-for-4 in a 10-0 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. Bell has cooled off at the plate heading into Wednesday's matchup against the Mets. The 29-year-old was hot in the first month of the season, slashing .365/.460/.527 with two home runs and 15 runs batted in through his first 22 games. But he has fallen off since, hitting .252/.319/.330 during that span. Fantasy managers should stay patient until he starts to turn things around.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell went 1-for-4 in a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday. Bell is off to an excellent start at the plate for the Nationals in 2022, hitting .342 with four homers, 22 runs, and 21 RBI over 117 at-bats. Bell has cooled off slightly of late, hitting .296 with one homer over his past seven games, but he still has been one of the better fantasy first basemen in the league thus far. Bell should remain locked into starting lineups going forward.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, starting at first base and hitting cleanup against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Bell left the game early on Saturday with a right hamstring strain and didn't play on Sunday in the series finale against the San Francisco Giants, but he's back in there on Tuesday. The 29-year-old switch-hitter has been swinging it well early on, so fantasy managers should be looking to get him back into their lineups. Bell is 19-for-55 with two home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 17 games of the season for Washington.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (knee) was removed in the third inning of Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Lucius Fox entered the game to cover third base while Maikel Franco shifted over to take first base. No official reason has been given yet for why Bell was removed from the game. However, Nationals beat writers have speculated that it's likely related to the right knee injury that forced him to miss some time this past week. Bell walked in his only at-bat in Saturday's game and he advanced to third base after the walk. There's a chance he re-aggravated his knee injury while running the bases.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (knee) is back at first base and is hitting cleanup on Thursday against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zach Davies. Bell left the game early on Wednesday with knee tightness, but his MRI results came back clean and he won't miss any game action. The 29-year-old switch-hitter is off to a good start in his second season in D.C., hitting .354 (17-for-48) with two home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored in 58 plate appearances over 14 games. Bell has eight walks and five strikeouts and has been a much more dangerous hitter from the left side in his career against right-handers. Fantasy managers need to get him back into their starting lineups Thursday.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell's (knee) MRI exam came back clean on Thursday, according to manager Dave Martinez. Bell will go through pre-game drills before the team decides if he can play on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zach Davies. The 29-year-old was removed from the game early on Wednesday when he felt tightness in his left knee, but he seems to have avoided a serious injury. Fantasy managers will need to check if he's in the lineup on Thursday before putting him back in their lineups. Maikel Franco took over at first base on Wednesday and will likely be there again if the Nats hold Bell out as a precaution. Bell is off to a hot start in D.C., going 17-for-48 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 14 games.

Washington Nationals infielder Josh Bell (knee) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday. Bell was forced to exit early during Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The slugger felt his left knee tighten up while at first base. Bell mentioned after the game that his knee didn't feel too bad. The removal from the contest was likely just a precautionary move. Fantasy managers will have to be patient and hope for the best on the MRI results. The young switch-hitter has been on fire at the plate to begin the season.

Washington Nationals' first baseman/outfielder Josh Bell left Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks early with an apparent injury. He went 1-for-1 with a double before exiting. Washington has yet to announce Bell's injury, and the 29-year-old is considered day-to-day. Bell is off to a torrid start in 2022 after hitting .354 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 14 games. Lucius Fox replaced him in Wednesday's game and would see an uptick in at-bats if Bell were forced to miss any games.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is off to a strong start at the plate this season, hitting .350 with a .469 on-base percentage and a pair of home runs in 50 plate appearances entering play on Tuesday. Bell has so far hit cleanup in every game he's played in and has collected 10 RBI on the season. After driving in 88 runs in 2021, another highly-productive RBI campaign could be in store for Bell, who is hitting behind Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz on a regular basis.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell has been cold at the plate so far this spring. Over nine games and 26 plate appearances, he's slashed .125/.192/.292 with one home run, one double and five RBI. A notoriously streaky hitter, Bell shouldn't be scrutinized very much for a cold spring stretch. His 2021 season was completely defined by hot and cold streaks. He had an OPS of just .464 in April, but he was a strong producer during most of the second half of the year. In July, he hit six home runs and had an .885 OPS. By season's end, he had racked up 27 home runs, 88 RBI and 75 runs over 144 games. He's in good position to put up similar numbers in 2022, even though his fantasy managers will have to remain patient during the slumps.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell finished his season as one of the hottest hitters in baseball, slashing .287/.375/.513 over his last 121 games of the season. Those numbers stand in stark contrast to his .133/.198/.289 line to start the year. He finished with statistics that mirror his career averages, but those could be hiding a major breakout if he can maintain some adjustments into 2022. He dropped his strikeout rate to just 17.8 percent in those final 121 games, and used the whole field more than ever. He should be a sneaky option for first base production next year, with plenty more RBI opportunities coming behind Juan Soto.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored in the last game of the season Sunday. He carries a four-game hit streak with three multi-hit games into the offseason. Bell thrived batting behind Juan Soto after coming over from the Pirates in the offseason, and he slashed .261/.347/.476 with 27 homers, 75 runs, and 88 RBI in 144 games. He's a solid first base option entering 2022, when he figures to once again see plenty of RBI opportunities.

Washington Nationals' first baseman Josh Bell is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Bell's having an above-average year offensively, slashing .254/.337/.473 with 27 HRs, 88 RBI, and 72 runs over 139 games. He's really turned it on in the second half, batting .264 with a .866 OPS. Ryan Zimmerman will play first and bat fourth against the left-hander Kyle Freeland. Zimmerman has just a .241 batting average and .749 OPS but is slashing .292/.315/.585 against lefties this season. He's a good streaming option at first base for fantasy managers in need of one.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell continued his excellent season Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, reaching in all four plate appearances against the Colorado Rockies. He went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored, though he was thrown out on the bases trying to stretch one of his singles into a double. Bell leads the Nationals with 27 home runs, and he has slashed .315/.439/.593 with eight homers in his last 30 games. He needs to be active in all fantasy lineups the rest of the way.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell had another strong game Wednesday, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a double in an 8-6 loss to the Miami Marlins. Bell now has 27 homers on the season, eight of which have come in his last 30 games, during which time he has slashed .296/.412/.574. Bell is getting hot at the right time for fantasy managers, and he should continue to have plenty of RBI opportunities to capitalize batting behind the ever-on-base Juan Soto.