Dunlap: Bell's Thunderous Bat Should Have Pirates Shopping Jaso
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - You are crazy if you say you've seen enough --- after a few glorious at-bats from Josh Bell at the Major League level --- to say the young first baseman is going to be really good right away.
You're nuts jumping to such a conclusion.
If given the chance, maybe he will continue his roaring approach at the plate the way he did with a towering grand slam over the weekend --- or he just might fall into a malaise where the strikeouts happen far too often.
Who knows?
I know this, however: What I saw from Josh Bell, albeit in an ultra-small sample size, would have me vigorously shopping John Jaso as trade bait. I mean, I'd be calling every single team that is even remotely a buyer and see if they would be interested in the guy who has so adeptly made the transition to first base.
"Please!" I would pretty much beg. "Take this guy and give me something in return!"
And if you could package in Jon Niese with Jaso and get any semblance of pitching help in return? Well, that would be an absolute home run --- call it a grand slam of Bell proportion.
You see, while the topic du jour in Pittsburgh sports today seems to be some variation of "Should Josh Bell stay in the big leagues after the All-Star Break?" I elect to look at this situation from a different prism following his bust out performance against the universe-leading Cubs over the weekend. I look at it as what is the overall shakeout from all this.
And, to me at least, it keeps coming back to the fact that what we all saw from Bell should make Jaso incredibly expendable.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the way Jaso has an ability to get on base and can provide a sparkplug of sorts for these Pirates.
I also love the way Jaso took it upon himself to work his butt off in Spring Training and turn himself into about an average defensive first baseman. The work he put in defensively and the defender he's turned himself into at that corner position should be applauded to the highest heavens.
But, let's be real about this --- Jaso isn't the Pirates' future. Bell is. And Bell seems good enough to be the Pirates' present as far as I'm concerned as long as you resign yourself to the fact that you might need to see Sean Rodriguez come in for him defensively in late-game situations.
Again, I'm OK with that, too.
Jaso is under contract through next season at a nice bargain, making just $4 million both this year and next. But, to be fair, his stock might never be higher as a Pirates player and at next year's deadline --- if the Pirates would want to move him --- teams would understand there'd be a deeper urgency by this organization.
So, sell now. Trust Bell.
On top of being aided by Rodriguez's glove in late-game situations at first, the Pirates have found a gem in David Freese and should fully use him. With Jung Ho Kang still fighting back from his injury last season --- and the uncertainty around his legal woes --- Freese will certainly be counted on to play a lot of third base down the stretch. On the days Kang is able to be out there, however, keeping Bell up in Pittsburgh gives you the option of either Freese or Bell at first.
I like that. I like that a whole lot.
At first I didn't know if I had seen enough. After talking myself into it, though, it is time for Bell to stay --- and Jaso is the guy you deal away.
Colin Dunlap is a featured columnist at CBSPittsburgh.com. He can also be heard weekdays from 5:40 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sports Radio 93-7 "The Fan." You can e-mail him at colin.dunlap@cbsradio.com. Check out his bio here.
