The moment Josh Bell’s name popped up on the transaction wire, Pirates fans did what Pirates fans always do: glanced at the roster, squinted at the depth chart, and wondered if a reunion made sense.
Put simply, it didn’t. And it never really did.
Bell agreeing to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins might trigger a little nostalgia — the switch-hitting days, the 2019 first half, the idea of a familiar face stabilizing the middle of the lineup — but let’s be honest: this was never a fit for where the Pirates are supposed to be headed.