In the short time that I’ve lived in Pittsburgh and the even shorter time I’ve been writing about the Pirates, Josh Bell’s trade to the Nationals is by far the most polarizing Bucs-related event I’ve seen. I’m sure it’s not on the same level as when Andrew McCutchen got dealt, considering that three years later, arguments for and against that trade still get intensely heated. Still, it gives me an idea of what it must have been like around here when that particular bomb detonated.
Like pretty much everyone, I like Josh personally. By all accounts, he’s a stand-up guy, and he repped the Pirates well.