Defensive versatility next step for Bell

PITTSBURGH — Josh Bell’s bat made him one of the top prospects in the Pirates’ system. But when the 24-year-old left his end-of-season exit interview with manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Neal Huntington, he was thinking mostly about his defense.

Bell was exclusively a right fielder from the time he was drafted in 2011 until he went to the Arizona Fall League in ’14, when he became exclusively a first baseman. Now, after a reintroduction to right field in July, he’s both. The Pirates will expect him to handle infield and outfield duties when he reports to Spring Training in February, and Bell is up for the challenge.

“That’s going to be my main focus, making sure I’m more versatile next year,” said Bell, MLBPipeline.com’s Pirates Player of the Year. “You have a few guys in every lineup that can play all over the field. Those guys are your most valuable players. I hope to be one of those guys next year.”

He’s still a work in progress at first, and that work will continue later this winter. He’ll also take fly balls in the outfield — something he hasn’t done in two years. The Pirates fed him tips about adjusting his arm slot, a tweak that should improve his throwing strength and accuracy.

It’s unclear how the Pirates will proceed at first base with …

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