WASHINGTON (AP) Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says the team isn’t ruling out a reunion with Ryan Zimmerman after acquiring slugger Josh Bell to play first base this week.

The Nationals acquired Bell, a 2019 All-Star, from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday for two pitching prospects, and Bell was introduced to Washington reporters on a video call Saturday.

Rizzo praised the switch-hitting Bell for his talent and his makeup, saying the 28-year-old ”exemplifies everything we’re trying to do here in Washington.” Bell batted .277 with 37 homers and 116 RBIs but struggled through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

”This fulfills a big part of our wish list in getting this middle-of-the-lineup bat,” Rizzo said.

It also leaves the door open for Zimmerman to return after the 36-year-old opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns about his family’s safety amid the pandemic. He told The Washington Post this month he would like to return in 2021 for a 16th big league season — the previous 15 have all been with the Nationals.

The righty-hitting first baseman batted .257 with six home runs for the 2019 World Series champions

”The acquisition of Josh Bell isn’t going to prohibit us from looking for a good right-handed hitter that comes off the bench or plays multiple positions,” Rizzo said.

”We still haven’t ruled out a Zim reunion,” he added. ”That skillset still fits on our roster.”

Bell said he was hardly bothered to be traded on Christmas Eve. He got a call from Pirates general manager Ben Cherington while working out with his father, and after the deal went public, the stream of congratulations from friends and family about his move to a contender gave the holiday even more of a festive feel.

”A lot of smiles,” Bell said.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to a $6 million, two-year contract.

The right-hander spent six years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. The Rangers paid a $1.2 million posting fee for Arihara, who can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses each year.

The 28-year-old Arihara was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 starts for Hokkaido during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in Japan. He led the Pacific League with three complete games and was second in innings with 132 2/3.

”The addition of Kohei Arihara strengthens the depth in our starting rotation,” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. ”He has had success in Japan over the last six years with a breakout season in 2019.”

Arihara, the Pacific League’s rookie of the year in 2015, had a career-high 15 wins in 2019, tied for the overall lead in Japan, and was second in ERA at 2.46 in 24 starts. He is 60-50 with a 3.74 ERA in 129 career appearances, including 125 starts.

Arihara would become the eighth native of Japan to appear in a regular-season game for the Rangers. Yu Darvish (2012-17) and Yoshinori Tateyama (2011-12) also pitched for Hokkaido before joining the Rangers.

”I will continue to work hard in order for me to grow and succeed in this city,” Arihara said in a statement released by the Rangers on Saturday. ”To lead into this, I will make sure to have a good offseason so that I can head into spring training in top condition.”

The Rangers made room for Arihara on the 40-man roster by designating right-hander Art Warren for assignment.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco broke a bone in his right wrist playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

The Pirates said Saturday that Polanco has a small nondisplaced fracture of the triquetrum bone and that the wrist will be immobilized for a short time. The team did not say how the injury occurred.

The 29-year-old Polanco is expected to be 100% by the start of spring training.

Polanco batted just .153 with seven homers and 22 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season after testing positive for the coronavirus during the team’s summer camp.

Polanco was hitting .197 with two homers in 21 games for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican League prior to the injury.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to a $6.2 million, two-year contract.

The right-hander gets $3.6 million in 2021 and $2.6 million in 2022 and can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses each year.

He spent six years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League. The Rangers will pay a $1.2 million posting fee for Arihara, of which $600,000 is due by Jan. 9, an additional $300,000 by Dec. 26, 2021, and the final $300,000 by June 26, 2022.

The 28-year-old was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 starts for Hokkaido during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in Japan. He led the Pacific League with three complete games and was second in innings with 132 2/3.

”The addition of Kohei Arihara strengthens the depth in our starting rotation,” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. ”He has had success in Japan over the last six years with a breakout season in 2019.”

Arihara, the Pacific League’s rookie of the year in 2015, had a career-high 15 wins in 2019, tied for the overall lead in Japan, and was second in ERA at 2.46 in 24 starts. He is 60-50 with a 3.74 ERA in 129 career appearances, including 125 starts.

Arihara would become the eighth native of Japan to appear in a regular-season game for the Rangers. Yu Darvish (2012-17) and Yoshinori Tateyama (2011-12) also pitched for Hokkaido before joining the Rangers.

”I will continue to work hard in order for me to grow and succeed in this city,” Arihara said in a statement released by the Rangers on Saturday. ”To lead into this, I will make sure to have a good offseason so that I can head into spring training in top condition.”

The Rangers made room for Arihara on the 40-man roster by designating right-hander Art Warren for assignment.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Josh Bell embraced everything about being a Pittsburgh Pirate. He understood as the club retooled following the departure of stars Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole that he would serve as the de facto face of the franchise.

It’s a responsibility Bell ran toward. He became heavily involved in the community. He developed a bond with the family of Hall of Fame first baseman Willie ”Pops” Stargell. He blossomed into an All-Star in 2019 looking every bit the cornerstone the Pirates could rebuild around.

And now he’s gone.

The Pirates sent the 28-year-old Bell to Washington on Thursday, giving the Nationals the middle-of-the-order bat general manager Mike Rizzo said was an offseason priority for the perennial NL East contenders.

Washington sent pitching prospects Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean to Pittsburgh for Bell, a move Pirates general manager Ben Cherington called necessary to give Pittsburgh the organizational depth it needs to build something successful down the road.

”In order to build that winning team and get to that winning team it’s going to require some difficult decisions at times, this is one of those,” Cherington said.

Bell was an All-Star in 2019 following a torrid first half in which he hit .302 with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs. That form has been elusive over the last year-plus. Bell hit .233 with 10 home runs during an injury-shortened second half of 2019 and batted a career-low .226 in 57 games for the Pirates in 2020. Pittsburgh finished 19-41, the worst record in the majors.

Bell believed he could be the cornerstone for Pittsburgh as the Pirates looked to retool under Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, both of whom came aboard following the team’s disastrous second-half collapse in 2019 that led to a top-to-bottom revamp in the organization.

Instead, Bell joins Cole, McCutchen and outfielder Starling Marte as players sent elsewhere after Pittsburgh chose to flip them for either less expensive major leaguers or well-regarded prospects they hope can make an impact down the road.

Bell goes from a team in the midst of a long-term rebuild to one just 14 months removed from a World Series title. The Nationals fell to 26-34 and last in the NL East in 2020, but Rizzo said this month he expects Washington to have the budget to put a championship-caliber club together. Bell, who made a pro-rated $1,777,778 in 2020 from a scheduled $4.8 million, is under contractual control through at least the 2022 season. He is one of three arbitration-eligible players for the Nationals, joining outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Trea Turner.

The 26-year-old Crowe is one of Washington’s top pitching prospects. He went 0-2 with an 11.88 ERA in three starts for the Nationals in 2020. Cherington said there’s a chance Crowe could make an impact at the big league level in 2021.

Yean, 19, signed with Washington as a non-drafted free agent in 2017. He has posted a 3-5 record with 75 strikeouts while playing in the low minors.

Bell’s exit takes the second-highest salary off Pittsburgh’s books behind right fielder Gregory Polanco’s scheduled $11.6 million. Cherington, however, noted the Pirates are likely not done dealing.

”To build a winning team and sustain that in Pittsburgh, we’re going to need to continue to focus on the accumulation of talent and then the development of that talent, and that comes from all different avenues,” Cherington said. ”But trade is one of them, and this is the time of the year where those conversations happen, so we’ll continue them.”

Cherington expects there to be a reaction from a fanbase that has grown accustomed to seeing its most high-profile players leave town. The Pirates, however, were unlikely to sign Bell to a long-term deal. Combine that likelihood with the timeframe the club sees as necessary to replicate the success that teams with modest budgets like Tampa Bay and Oakland have achieved meant parting with Bell – as tough as it was – was the right call.

”I believe what Pirates fans want is a winning team more than they want to root for a single player, even one who is a really good guy and a good player,” Cherington said. ”If we think about that, that’s how we see it.”

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PITTSBURGH (AP) Josh Bell is heading to the Washington Nationals.

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded the slugging first baseman to Washington on Thursday for pitching prospects Will Crowe and Eddy Yean.

The 28-year-old Bell was an All-Star in 2019 following a torrid first half in which he hit .302 with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs. That form has been elusive over the last year-plus. Bell hit .233 with 10 home runs during an injury-shortened second half of 2019 and hit just eight homers while batting a career-low .233 in 57 games for the Pirates in 2020. Pittsburgh finished 19-41, the worst record in the majors.

Bell believed he could be the cornerstone for Pittsburgh as the Pirates looked to retool under general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, both of whom came aboard following the team’s disastrous second-half collapse in 2019 that led to a top-to-bottom revamp in the organization.

Instead, Bell will join the Nationals, just 14 months removed from a World Series title. He is under contractual control through at least the 2022 season. His departure also removes the second-highest salary on the team from the books. Bell, who was scheduled to make $4.8 million in 2020 before taking a fraction of that due to the truncated season, figured to receive at least a minor bump in arbitration this time around.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo had said adding a middle-of-the-order bat was his top offseason priority.

The 26-year-old Crowe is one of Washington’s top pitching prospects. He went 0-2 with an 11.88 ERA in three starts for the Nationals in 2020.

Yean, 19, signed with Washington as a non-drafted free agent in 2020. He has posted a 3-5 record with 75 strikeouts while playing in the low minors.

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NEW YORK (AP) The Mets have hired Zack Scott as senior vice president and assistant general manager, reuniting the former Boston Red Sox executive with New York GM Jared Porter.

The team announced the hiring Wednesday. The 43-year-old Scott spent the previous 17 seasons with Boston and was an assistant general manager the last two years, overseeing analytics, baseball systems and advance and pro scouting departments.

Porter, hired from the Diamondbacks to be general manager under team president Sandy Alderson this month, started with Boston in 2004 – the same year Scott joined the Red Sox as an intern. The pair worked together under GM Theo Epstein.

”I’ve known Zack for over 15 years, and worked with him daily for 10 of those years. He’s a strong leader who is a very creative and dynamic thinker,” Porter said in a statement. ”Zack is well rounded in all areas of baseball operations, and will promote synergy and collaboration among all of our departments with an emphasis on research and development.”

Scott got his start in baseball as a developer at Diamond Mind, Inc., which produces baseball simulation software. He held numerous roles over his years in Boston with a heavy focus on analytics and systems.

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BOSTON (AP) The Red Sox have signed right-hander Matt Andriese to a $2.1 million, one-year deal to bolster the back end of their starting rotation.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced the agreement Wednesday. Andriese will earn a $1.85 million salary for 2021 and has a $3.5 million club option for 2022 with a $250,000 buyout. Andriese could earn up to $7.6 million over two seasons.

The 31-year-old Andriese made one start and 15 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020, posting a 4.50 ERA. Andriese has been a starter and reliever throughout his career, including during four seasons with AL East-rival Tampa Bay.

The option includes an escalator of up to $1 million for innings – $250,000 each for 120, 130, 140 and 150. He can also earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on innings, $125,000 for 120, 130, 140 and 150.

Also Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Red Sox.

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DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Tigers signed right-hander Jose Urena to a $3.25 million, one-year deal Wednesday.

Urena can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses based on starts, $50,000 each for 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27.

The 29-year-old starter has spent the past six season with the Miami Marlins, compiling a 32-46 record with a 4.60 ERA in 142 games, 98 starts.

Urena struggled through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He went on the COVID-19 injured list in late July, returned to make five starts in September but broke his right forearm when he was struck by a line drive in his final outing. He finished the season 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA.

”Once Jose became available, we had him identified as a player that could come in and help our ballclub win games,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a statement. ”We’re excited to add his experience pitching at a high level, and know he’ll contribute to our young staff in significant ways.

”Jose has a great ability to navigate a lineup and limit damage, while keeping his team in the game, which is exactly the stability we’re looking for heading into the 2021 season.”

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BOSTON (AP) The Red Sox have signed right-hander Matt Andriese to a $2.1 million, one-year deal to bolster the back end of their starting rotation.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced the agreement Wednesday. Andriese will earn a $1.85 million salary for 2021 and has a $3.5 million club option for 2022 with a $250,000 buyout. Andriese could earn up to $7.6 million over two seasons.

The 31-year-old Andriese made one start and 15 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020, posting a 4.50 ERA. Andriese has been a starter and reliever throughout his career, including during four seasons with AL East-rival Tampa Bay.

The option includes an escalator of up to $1 million for innings – $250,000 each for 120, 130, 140 and 150. He can also earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on innings, $125,000 for 120, 130, 140 and 150.

Boston also claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.

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