From Joel Sherman (NY Post):
An NL official said not to believe that San Diego closer Heath Bell is only available at an exorbitant price. “I think the Padres realize that this is the moment when you can get your best deal for (Bell). He gets expensive next year, and there is no reason to have an expensive closer on a bad team.”The Yankees are among the teams that have been interested in Bell. The addition of Bell would allow the Yanks to more comfortably move either Alfredo Aceves and/or Phil Hughes into the rotation if an injury struck the Yanks’ suddenly thin rotation.
Bell is an expensive commodity, so trading for him is unlikely. The Yankees would have to give up at least one top-tier player from their farm system in order to get him (along with others). Still, he would probably cost less than a Jarrod Washburn (player cost and financial cost), though, and as Sherman notes, the smart play could be for the Yankees to trade for a shutdown reliever (e.g., Bell, Qualls, etc.). That would allow them to transition Phil Hughes into the starting rotation without creating a void in their bullpen and it would solve their obvious depth issues.
It would be particularly funny for the Yanks to acquire Bell since he accused ESPN of covering only the Red Sox, Mets and the Yankees, earlier this season. What, nobody cares about the 38-62 Padres?
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6 Responses to Heath Bell on the Yanks' radar
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TIQ IQ
I have reservations, based on old history, about ever bringing in a pitcher from San Diego. The NY media environment and the intensity of the fans seems to eat at them. Good as Bell may be in laid-back Southern California, it simply may not translate.
I like Bell, and really would like to see the Yankees bring him in. That being said, I have a feeling his price will exceed that of some of the available starters, like Washburn, and the 2009 Yankees probably could use Washburn more than Bell.
It’s true. I wonder if the price for Washburn and Bell would be the same? The plus, though, is that Bell would be under team control for a few years (I think?).
I like bell alot and someone please tell me they are not trading for that stiff Arroyo-he sucks. Make a play for Washburn if anything or Bell would be fine but not arroyo
The Arroyo thing has been shot down.
I like Bell better then Washburn…gives more options.