When Josh Bell stepped outside to call Ben Cherington back, the first baseman already had an inkling what the Pirates general manager would say on the other end of the line.
“You can get a text on Christmas Eve,” Bell said, “but a phone call is kind of strange to get from a GM that time of year.”
Bell was right. Cherington had called to let Bell know he had been traded to the Washington Nationals, part of a deal that sent two pitching prospects the other way to Pittsburgh. After five seasons with the Pirates — five seasons full of rebuilding and trade deadline rumors and long-term uncertainty — Bell stepped back into his parents’ house to celebrate.