Josh Bell is excited to play alongside José Ramírez

The Guardians finally made it official yesterday, signing Josh Bell to a two-year, $33 million deal and introducing him to the Cleveland. Bell, who has played with his fair share of superstars, sounds like he’s a fan of José Ramírez, and he’s itching to play alongside him.

With Bell’s signing official, the roster sits full at 40. Any catching additions (which won’t include Sean Murphy) would require someone else to be moved off the roster.

Cleveland Guardians news

Bell eager to join forces with J-Ram, pack lineup punch | MLB
You absolutely love to see it, folks. Not only is Ramírez on a very team-friendly deal, but his presence alone is making Cleveland a more attractive place for free agents. Now, granted, Bell would probably play anywhere that paid him the most, but perhaps a small part of him was enticed by the idea of batting behind a perennial MVP candidate.

Guardians miss out on Sean Murphy as A’s trade catcher to Braves in 3-team deal | Cleveland
The Guardians signing a big slugger to a free-agent deal is an uncommon story, but this one unfortunately isn’t. While the Guardians were in talks with the A’s for catcher Sean Murphy since at least last year’s trade deadline, Oakland went another direction and sent him to the Braves for a package that appears lighter than some of their leaked requests. The three-team, nine-player trade landed Murphy in Atlanta and a slew of prospects in Oakland and Milwaukee.

Around the league

• The Blue Jays signed Chris Bassitt.
• The Twins signed Christian Vazquez.
• The Yankees are interested in Carlos Rodón.
• The Mets are spending a lot of money.
• The Giants signed Sean Manaea.