The Twins are scouting Heath Bell extensively for a possible trade, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Closer Joe Nathan may have to undergo Tommy John surgery, so the Twins are looking at possible replacements, including Bell and Blue Jays reliever Jason Frasor.
The Twins won't necessarily have to make a trade at all, though. Nathan will throw Saturday, Sunday or Monday and the Twins will have a clearer sense of his ability to pitch with a torn ulnar collateral ligament after his bullpen session.
Bell led the National League with 42 saves last year. He posted 10.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 69.2 innings. The 32-year-old righty makes $4MM this year and won't be a free agent until after 2011.
Please. PLEASE. I’d even be willing to let Ramos go in this deal. The Twins have the best shot since 1991 at making a legit run this year – it’s a shame to jeopardize that because of just one small piece missing.
I totally agree 100%. If the Twins trade for Bell and Nathan ends up having to have surgery we can just resign Bell for next year. Works out perfectly.
It’s already done: Bell’s contract runs out AFTER 2011.
And you’re right, it does work out well, since there’s no way Nathan avoids surgery and little chance he returns at the same high level of performance right away. Bell can close in 11 while Nathan gets the eighth inning work and Guerrier gets his arm fixed.
(BTW: Guerrier is way overdue for a breakdown. Very few non-one out guys make his number of appearances and innings over three and four and five years without falling apart. It’s crazy how he’s avoided real trouble. Someone should study high use relievers to show how freaky he is.)
If the Twins would trade Ramos for Bell, the trade would be done in a heartbeat. I don’t think the Padres could turn that down.
Not Ramos!
No way do you give up one of the most promising prospects in baseball, and a potential offensive force at catcher, to get a 32 year old pitcher. Ramos is a stud! Twins have plenty of other assets, you dont give up the second best prospect in your system for a Heath Bell.
Well, I don’t consider Ramos our second best… I put him behind sano, revere, hicks, and maybe even gibson.
But I know some people are higher on him.
They’re going to need Bell for this and next year, cause I don’t see Nathan contributing much at all until 2012.
Until 2012? How’s that? The recovery process lasts normally a little more than a year so if he’s smart and has surgery soon he’ll be ready around Opening Day 2011. Hell, Peter Moylan had TJ in-season during 2008 and started the season in the Braves’ bullpen last year.
Yes it takes 1 year to be able to pitch again.. but almost everyone agrees it takes 2 years to get back to normal, especially if the pitcher has a violent arm motion like Nathan. As a Padrefan i dont really want to see bell go, but we have lots of inhouse candidates that can step in, so this will probably happen.
Nathan’s delivery really isn’t any more violent than any mid-90’s throwing closer. It’s not a Lincecum-type delivery by any means.
If the Twins do this, I really hope they don’t give up the farm. I really don’t want them to do this.
If they don’t want to fill his role internally they better go ahead and make a trade because he’s not going to pitch with a torn UCL. I think Bell might carry too big of an asking price but guys like CJ Wilson, Jason Frasor, or Nick Masset should come at a lesser price and do the job admirably.
Obviously there’s more proven value in Heath Bell than Jason Frasor, I would just think the price difference would make Frasor probably more worthwhile. It’s just a closer after all. If they could get Jason Frasor for say, one of their 6-10th best prospects, whereas Bell might cost two of those or a top five prospect, it just doesn’t seem worthwhile to make the jump to a Bell.
Perkins + 6-10th range prospect might not be an unrealistic offer, and a good deal for the Twins. Whether or not SD would take something like that is up in the air.
I’m convinced Perkins is completely worthless, but apparently people who doesn’t see the daily coverage on him think otherwise…
The Padres already have too many rotation candidates. I don’t think they would have any interest in Perkins.
Yeah, I’m not even sure if Perkins + one of those would be enough for Frasor, let alone Bell.
not going to happen! or should not happen! Do you know how much the twins would have to give up to get Bell. The Angels, the Red Sox and the Dodgers all pursued Bell last summer and they all gave up.
If I’m the twins I’d rather have a closer by comittee and use the prospects it would take to land Bell, to land a possible top of the rotation starter cause if you can strengthen the rotation, they would not have to rely so heavily on their bullpen.
Different GM.
This is from a Padres fan site, looking at who the Padres would be interested as a fit for Bell:
friarhood.com/2010-season/138-heath-bell-on-twins-…
Certainly an interesting idea, and one that a lot of people in San Diego brought up after Nathan went down.
I’d be scared to take any Padres pitcher, to me Bell is as much of an unknown as frasor. How many padres pitchers that people have traded for work out for other teams?
Trevor Hoffman seemed to fair pretty well after leaving. In limited duty, Jake Peavy was excellent for the White Sox. My memory doesn’t recall any other Padre pitching studs that left the squad over the last few years. I’m not saying there havn’t been busts, but I’m really not sure what your driving at here.
Heath Bell has had more than one good year.
To the Padre fan
Your team been trying to get rid of 2 guy who are exepensive and San Diego is team like tampa, Pittsburgh that wouldn’t be able to raise payroll but their looking to get rid of Adrian Gonzalez who would bring back alot of prospect but he would be rent a yr player for some team out their and well Heath Bell would command not as much prospect like Adrian but he still good, thought twins are looking to make run but bet you like last 2 season it seem like that it will come down to Sox & Twins for playoff spot, if I was minnesota I would see what it take and do it if their no in house candiates to take the spot.
That was one single sentence of unintelligible garbage. I think you’re saying something like, “It might be good.”
With Span signed for a while into the future, Revere could be somewhat expendable. Revere for Bell?
This is a great piece outlining what Prospects the Padres would be interested from the Twins. Looks like this Padres site and a twins site worked together on it.
friarhood.com/2010-season/138-heath-bell-on-twins-…
perkins casilla ramos- bell???????????????????????????????????