Last offseason the Miami Marlins signed Heath Bell to a three-year $27 million contract in hopes of him solidifying the back end of their bullpen. That didn’t happen. The veteran finished the season with a 5.09 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, had the second most blown saves in MLB with 8, and ended up getting removed from the closer’s role by manager Ozzie Guillen.
So Miami deemed Bell surplus to requirements and shipped him to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three-team trade, also including the Oakland A’s. Bell was just one part of a season that didn’t go according to plan for the underachieving Marlins and joins Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and Omar Infante on the list of players who have been traded this year. Now the 35-year old will get a fresh start with the D-Backs and try to regain the form he showed with the San Diego Padres from 2009-2011.
Maybe the change of scenery will be good for Heath Bell, whose relationship with Guillen wasn’t the best. Atlanta Braves pitcher Peter Moylan seems to think so.
I bet Heath Bell is devastated about being traded. #probablynot
— Peter Moylan (@PeterMoylan) October 21, 2012
So everyone sees the Miami Marlins as a joke huh?
In retrospect, Peter Moylan was spot-on. Well done, sir.