When the Minnesota Twins signed Josh Bell, it didn’t exactly shake up the baseball world. It wasn’t a headline-grabbing move, and it didn’t send shockwaves through the division.
But if you’ve been paying attention to how the Twins operate-especially at first base-you know this front office doesn’t make moves in a vacuum. They’ve built a track record of turning perceived defensive liabilities into solid contributors, and Bell might be their latest project.
Let’s start with the obvious: Josh Bell is not known for his glove. He’s a big-bodied, slow-footed first baseman whose defensive metrics have consistently landed in the red.
Over the past three seasons, he’s posted -2, -7, and -4 Outs Above Average (OAA) at first. That’s not the kind of profile that inspires confidence, especially at a position where the Twins have quietly made defense a strength.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Minnesota doesn’t play first base like most teams. They’ve developed a system that leans heavily on strategic positioning-especially against left-handed hitters-to simplify the job for their first basemen. It’s not about turning guys into Gold Glovers overnight; it’s about putting them in spots where they have to do less and succeed more.
Take Carlos Santana, for example. In 2023 with Cleveland, he played close to the line against lefties just 29% of the time and finished with -2 OAA in those matchups.
Solid, but unspectacular. Fast forward to 2024 with the Twins, and that number jumped to 53%.
Suddenly, Santana was cutting off more ground balls down the line, didn’t have to range as far, and posted a stellar 13 OAA against left-handed hitters. That defensive jump helped him earn a Gold Glove-not because he became more athletic, but because the Twins put him in the right spots.
Then came Ty France in 2025. Before joining Minnesota, France was struggling defensively, playing close to the line just 34% of the time and posting -8 OAA against lefties.
Once he got to the Twins, that rate skyrocketed to 86%. The result?
A dramatic turnaround, with France finishing the season at +7 OAA and earning a Gold Glove of his own. Again, same player, same body, different usage-and a completely different outcome.
This is the context that makes the Bell signing more than just a shrug-worthy move. Bell has never been a strong defender, but he’s also never been put in a system that’s designed to protect him.
From 2023 to 2025, he played close to the line against lefties just 41% of the time. On those plays, he posted -9 OAA.
That’s rough, but it also suggests his previous teams didn’t do much to hide his weaknesses.
Now imagine Bell in Minnesota’s system, where that rate could jump to 50%, 60%, maybe even 80% depending on the matchup. He won’t suddenly become an elite defender, but he won’t have to be.
The Twins’ approach is all about minimizing exposure-cutting down on the hard-hit grounders that sneak down the line and reducing the amount of lateral movement required. In other words, they make the game smaller for their first basemen.
And that’s the key to understanding this signing. The Twins aren’t asking Bell to win them games with his glove.
They’re asking him to be serviceable-catch what’s hit at him, pick throws out of the dirt, and avoid being a liability. If they can get him to average, or even just slightly below, that’s a win.
Because what they’re really banking on is the bat.
Minnesota’s lineup has been in desperate need of consistent offense, and first base has been a revolving door of underwhelming production. Outside of a solid stretch from Santana in 2023, it’s been a problem spot.
Bell brings a switch-hitting profile with power and a history of getting on base. Even if his peak seasons are behind him, he still offers offensive upside that the Twins sorely need.
This is a roster that needs to score runs. They’re not built to grind out 2-1 wins.
So prioritizing a bat-first option at first base makes sense. If Bell can provide quality at-bats and the Twins can neutralize his defensive shortcomings with smart positioning, the value starts to add up.
No, this isn’t a perfect signing. Bell isn’t a perfect player.
But the Twins have shown they don’t need perfection-they just need a plan. And when it comes to first base defense, they’ve got one.
If they follow the same blueprint they used with Santana and France, there’s every reason to believe Bell can be more than just a placeholder. He can be a contributor.
And in a tight division race, that might be more important than it looks right now.