Guardians trade 1B Josh Bell to Miami for veteran infielder, former top prospect

HOUSTON — Josh Bell is heading to Miami after the Guardians traded the veteran first baseman Tuesday to the Marlins in a three-player deal, the club announced shortly after the 6 p.m. Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Cleveland gets veteran infielder Jean Segura and former first-round draft pick Kahlil Watson, a 20 year old infielder currently at High-A Beloit in the Miami farm system.

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Segura will not report to the Guardians, as Cleveland will absorb the remainder of his 2023 salary along with his $8.5 million salary for next season and a $2 million buyout for 2025, according to president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. Bell has a player option worth $16.5 million for next year, meaning the Guardians will save about $6 million in the exchange.

Watson, 20, once believed to be a contender for the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, has had a tumultuous start to his pro career after being selected 16th in the first round out of Wake Forest High School in North Carolina.

He has spent the 2023 season with High-A Beloit, batting a .206 (41-for-199) with 10 2B, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 14 steals and 35 walks in 60 games (.337/.362/.699). He was recently activated from the seven-day injured list with a right finger injury.

Over his two-year professional career, Watson owns a .234 (134-for-573) average in 156 games. He is currently ranked as the third-best prospect in the Marlins system according to Baseball America. Over the two seasons he has appeared in 107 games at short stop and 33 at second base.

Segura signed a two-year, $17 million contract with Miami in December and has struggled this season, hitting .219 with 3 home runs, 21 RBI and a .556 OPS in 301 at-bats

Bell was one of Cleveland’s two big offseason acquisitions, signing a two-year deal worth $33 million in December. Along with catcher Mike Zunino, Bell was supposed to provide punch to the middle of a relatively powerless Guardians lineup, but never quite found the consistency that Cleveland was looking for.

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