Minnesota Twins Congratulate Josh Bell on Big Career Milestone

The Minnesota Twins took the time to celebrate one of the veterans on their roster on Tuesday as first baseman Josh Bell officially surpassed 10 years of service time in MLB.

"Congratulations to Josh Bell on celebrating 10 years of MLB Service Time!!!" the Twins wrote on X.

Bell is in his first season with the Twins, having signed this past offseason on a one-year deal worth $7 million with a mutual option for next offseason.

The biggest reason Minnesota brought him in was to add veteran leadership to a young clubhouse full of players who needed a reliable voice, and Bell has been exactly that.

Throughout his 11 seasons in the big leagues, Bell has played for seven different organizations, debuting for the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2016 and earning an All-Star selection there in 2019.

He became a journeyman after that, bouncing between organizations while picking up valuable postseason experience along the way.

It has not always been perfect for Bell, but at his best he is an above-average switch hitter who demolishes right-handed pitching, and he has provided exactly that kind of reliability for the Twins this year.

Across 98 appearances, the 33-year-old has posted a .251 batting average, .309 on-base percentage, .737 OPS, 13 home runs and 60 RBIs. It is fair to wonder whether the Twins would be in their current position without his consistent production in the middle of the order.

Manager Derek Shelton, who managed Bell during his time with the Pirates, was on hand to mark the occasion with some genuinely heartfelt words for Bell during their series against the Cleveland Guardians.

"This is a really special day to highlight someone that not only is a wonderful baseball player... But what I want to highlight is the human being because of the fact that you guys have been in this room," Shelton said.

He continued, "We were very intentional when we built our club this year to put someone like Josh Bell into our group for me to be able to see the maturation you've taken as a person. I knew you before you were married. I knew you before you had kids. To see the husband you are, the father you are, the 10 years is special. You're special."

As the Twins enter an important stretch trying to prove they should be buyers at the trade deadline, it was a meaningful moment to pause and celebrate one of the pillars of what this group has built in 2026.