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The MLB Trade Deadline is one of the most exciting times of the season. This year, it is on July 30. Many teams have had early indications of whether they will be sellers or buyers at the deadline. The Pirates are one of those teams that are close to .500 and could be looking to load up the team for a second-half playoff push.
Some players on the trade market are former Pirates. With the Pirates on the verge of being buyers on the deadline, let's take a look at five former players that could return to Pittsburgh.
Josh Bell, First Base
One of the Pirates' biggest needs is first base. Connor Joe has exceeded expectations, but in order for him to remain productive, he needs a guy to platoon with. One player who could replace Rowdy Tellez as Joe's platoon option is Josh Bell, the Pirates' All-Star in 2019. Bell returning to Pittsburgh makes a ton of sense, and could be a realistic outcome.
The Miami Marlins currently have a record of 21-41 and have already begun selling their team. They unloaded Luis Arraez, and there is heavy speculation that Jesus Luzardo, Tanner Scott, and Josh Bell will all follow suit.
With the Marlins shopping Bell, the Pirates could acquire their former All-Star. Bell would be a major upgrade over Tellez. This season, Bell has a batting average of .255 with six home runs and 30 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .715, which includes an on-base percentage of .324 and a slugging percentage of .391. His wRC+ is at 105, and his strikeout percentage is at 19%.
Bell's offense has been better as of late, but he has been lacking his well-known power. His Statcast metrics are not great, but his hot streak indicates that he will continue to improve. Over the last 15 games, Bell has a .333 batting average with an OPS of .821 (.354 on-base percentage, .467 slugging percentage).
Josh Bell is a significant improvement over Rowdy Tellez and can keep the much needed platoon with Connor Joe. The Marlins will be trying to get rid of Bell, so Ben Cherington should attempt to reunite with the slugger.