Dec
2
2011

Marlins Reel In All Star Closer Heath Bell

An article by Craig Lerner

The Miami Marlins and free-agent closer Heath Bell have agreed on a three-year, $27 million dollar contract, pending a physical according to ESPN.com.

A league source said the three-year deal will guarantee Bell $9 million annually and includes a vesting option for a fourth year.

Bell is one of the top closers available this offseason and the 34-year-old right-hander is coming off a 43-save season with the Padres making him the only closer in baseball who has saved 40-plus games in each of the past three seasons.

Bell was 43 of 48 on save opportunities last season and finished the year with a 2.44 ERA and a WHIP of 1.15.

Thoughts from Joe D.

Am I concerned? Of course I am, Bell is an elite closer and certainly better than any of the names the Mets are currently sifting through. The Marlins were only five games worse than the Mets last season and they may have already made up that ground and they’re not done yet.

About the Author: Craig Lerner

I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.

28 Comments + Add Comment

Hank December 2, 2011 at 12:11 am

I love Sandy’s line about payroll being $100M so you can do this etchings in season that you want to do. Seeing we have $63M in guaranteed contracts, maybe $20M or more in arbitration and minimum salary guys, that leaves $17M to improve the team.

Yay.
- Hank December 2, 2011 at 12:15 am
  
  So angry I can’t type. I meant to say…
  
  I love Sandy’s line about payroll being $100M so you can do those things in season that you want to do. Regular people look forward to the offseason to do those things that build teams, but not super Sandy.
  
  Well, seeing we have $63M in guaranteed contracts, maybe $20M or more in arbitration and minimum salary guys, that leaves $17M to improve the team.
  
  Yay.
NJstuckinTX December 2, 2011 at 12:12 am

Is Nunez, or whatever his name is, available? (read: snark)
DaveUpstateNY December 2, 2011 at 12:30 am

Another guy the Mets had, didn’t know what to do with, under-used him, Nick Evansed him back and forth to Triple A, then dumped him and he became a great pitcher. Lather, rinse and repeat.
- Metsie December 2, 2011 at 9:45 am
  
  So True Dave!
  
  Don’t be surprised to see it happen again with a guy like Pridie or Evans!
tlagee December 2, 2011 at 1:04 am

November 15, 2006: Traded by the New York Mets with Royce Ring to the San Diego Padres for Jon Adkins and Ben Johnson.

Oh yeah – the famous Ben Johnson and – as a Met – his 30 plate appearances and his .185 BA…and who could forget Jon Adkins and his one inning pitched for the Mets.

Incredible!

Rick Peterson wasn’t a fan of his and Scott Kazmir’ed him.
- Tommy2cat December 2, 2011 at 5:06 am
  
  It gets better. Heath Bell – the 340 lb figure roller skater – loves to close games out against the Mets.
  
  He gets the call from the bullpen, “C’mon down, Chuck Biscuit”, and Bell responds, “Wait a minutes…gotta eat…” So, on goes the roller skates and he glides down the tunnel that leads from the visitors bullpen to the visitors dugout, stopping by the locker room for a quick slice of pizza, 3 garlic knots and a diet coke, wipes his mouth with his hand, pirouettes to the dugout, quickly changes his cleats and tumbles out of the dugout tank full & ready to throw gas.
  
  One needs to look no further than Omar’s subtraction of Heath Bell, Matt Lindstrom, Chad Bradford & Darrin Oliver – among others – from the Mets bullpen to understand the collapse in 2007 & 2008.
  
  However – and I really mean this – I suspect Bell is nearing the end of his prime and may possibly get tuned up by the NL East, which has a lot of power bats from the left side. Just a hunch.
  
  Chuck Biscuit…you go, Boy!
- Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 7:31 am
  
  Second guessing here we come…
LongTimeFan December 2, 2011 at 2:01 am

It’s always difficult when a former Met of current impact, lands with a division foe.

9/27.

It’s a shame that we have Alderson who can barely stand offering two-year deals, let alone three. This is what we’re going to have to largely deal with in the Alderson era – a GM with small market mentality getting beat out, or never even being in the game in the offseason competition for free agents. Signing Bell could make the Marlins even more attractive to Reyes.
N6SIX December 2, 2011 at 2:06 am

I don’t know if this signing really makes up those 5 games. Heath made a majority of his appearances in pitcher-friendly PETCO Park. We nee to see how that new ball park in Miami will play AND how this contract affects Bell.

Everything always looks better on paper!
- Bayonne Mets Fan December 2, 2011 at 2:13 am
  
  I’m quite sure they researched all of that before deciding Bell is gonna make them better regardless so they signed him anyway.
- izzy December 2, 2011 at 7:34 am
  
  Did you see Nunez (don’t know his new or is it old name) attempt to close last year? He was one notch better than Parnell. The new park is big, but it doesn’t matter. They have upgraded a key position, something that Sandy Alderson has yet to do in his second Winter of sleeping until the worst; cheapest guy is left on the table.
Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 7:35 am

when you have holes on your team, this is what you do, you go after the guys you think will make you better, is already December 2nd and the mets have done absolutely NOTHING, and i know what most of sandy’s apologist will say, ohh, nobody has signed, blah blah blah, but the mets haven’t not only signed anybody, they seem to just wait on the market instead of going after the market, is amazing and pathetic how MLB is allowing these goons to run a franchise operating like this, and allowing sandy alderson to be the GM of a large market team and have a mentality of the pirates.. is a real shame to tell you the truth, but it is what it is…
Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 7:46 am

By the way, if/when the marlins sign reyes, sandy alderson gets his much desire second draft pick..
- Kay December 2, 2011 at 7:49 am
  
  Where do you get this, that he’d rather have a draft pick over Reyes? Is this more of your fantasy world in your He Man Sandy Haters Club? You can post this in every thread, still doesn’t make it true……….
  - Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 7:57 am
    
    http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/sandy_assured_picks_lLWPex9IAchf4zC1cYUEWI
    
    liste, he’s said this many times and i have stressed over it, i am not sure why i even reply to you but checked that linked out, i am sure you’ll read where he literally when and knock on the commissioner’s office about the picks..
    - Kay December 2, 2011 at 8:05 am
      
      That article does not say he would RATHER a draft pick over Reyes he is ensuring the team gets something in return jus in case. Keep spinning though.
      - Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 8:08 am
        
        There’s a reason he’s been talking about it since september… don’t even bother replying back, that is just one of the many times the man has been talking about picks, if you want read about it go and find it out yourself, i don’t have to do you any favors ok..
        
        Donal December 2, 2011 at 9:35 am
        
        He talks about it because people ask
        
        Kay December 2, 2011 at 12:28 pm
        
        He never once said he’d RATHER picks over Reyes, but funny how others on this site get called liars……..
        
        Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 12:30 pm
        
        I don’t call others on this site liars, i called him losers, stalkers,baiters, etc…
        
        Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 12:30 pm
        
        Them
        
        Donal December 2, 2011 at 12:36 pm
        
        And then you salute them
        
        Kay December 2, 2011 at 12:45 pm
        
        Just more words used incorrectly, just like Apologist……………..
        
        Apolgoist – Now that has to be the site’s most mis-used word ever………………..followed closely by unclutch………
        
        Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 12:49 pm
        
        No, i think STALKER is…
Donal December 2, 2011 at 9:34 am

Paying for saves is not how you build a winner.

The Padres were 3% better than the Marlins over all in saves opportunities last year. Bell’s save % was 4% higher than the player formerly known as Nunez. Bell had one less blown save in a very pitcher friendly park.

Bell is a good relief pitcher and improves their bullpen. However, the closer role is a waste and they’ll actually be limiting his effectiveness.

No, Joe, he’s not bringing them an extra 5 wins.
- Alex68 December 2, 2011 at 10:59 am
  
  No, Joe, he’s not bringing them an extra 5 wins”
  
  can you please stop this obsession you have about closers not being valuable?? seriously, you’re the only person screaming about this.. we get it, you don’t think they should be pay highly etc, please stop it ok, you’re alone on this debate…
  - Donal December 2, 2011 at 11:09 am
    
    In case you don’t notice, I don’t give a damn if I’m alone in any of my opinions. If I think the facts are pointing in a certain direction, that that is what shapes my opinion.
    
    And Joe’s point was about just how valuable Bell is as a closer for the Marlins in terms of wins. I think the facts do not support his conclusion.
    
    If you want me to stop pointing out how over valued closers are, then people should stop harping about how essential they are.

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