Josh Bell is back in Washington, D.C.

Veteran first baseman Bell and the Nationals have agreed on a one-year, $6 million deal for 2025, sources told MLB.com on Sunday night. The team has not confirmed the deal.

The Nats had been looking to add offensive power at first base and DH -- and they did both in a week by agreeing to terms with Bell and acquiring Nathaniel Lowe from the Rangers.

Bell, 32, remains a potentially big bat, given his ability to hit for power and reach base in other ways. Though his overall production the past two seasons was around league average (101 OPS+ in 2023 and 97 OPS+ in ‘24), the nine-year veteran has a track record of parlaying a change of scenery into solid production.

Clubhouse chemistry and veteran presence also were a priority for the Nationals when building their roster this winter. Look for Bell to embrace the valuable leadership role he held in his first stint with the Nats. He served as the Player Ambassador to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and was their 2022 Roberto Clemente Award nominee.

He played 247 games for Washington from 2021-22, posting a 136 OPS+ with 41 homers before departing in the first of two consecutive Trade Deadline deals, when he was included in the Juan Soto blockbuster to San Diego.

Bell is a below-average defender at first base, having accounted for minus-9 Outs Above Average in 2024, which ranked second worst in MLB among qualified first basemen. But the hope is that his bat can make up for his defensive deficiencies or that he can provide a productive presence at DH.

Each of the past two seasons, a trade at the Deadline ignited a strong finish for Bell, who averaged a 118 OPS+ after trades to the Marlins and D-backs in 2023 and ‘24, respectively. He's far removed from his heyday of 37 homers with the Pirates in 2019, but he's still capable of 15-20 long balls a season and an OPS above .800. His career hard-hit rate of 42.1% is well-above league average, as is his 11.2% walk rate. Those were both illustrated in his .361 on-base percentage in 41 games for the D-backs this past season.

The Nats reuniting with Bell comes at a familiar time of year. In 2021, they traded for Bell from the Pirates on Christmas Eve.