Biographical

Heath Bell PPadres

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Career Summary

Years	G	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	WARP
17	590	628.7	38	32	168	3.49	13.8

Birth Date	9-29-1977
Height	6' 3"
Weight	235 lbs

Age	46 years, 7 months, 14 days
Bats	R
Throws	R

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	G	IP	W	L	SV	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-	WARP
2004	NYN	MLB	17	24.3	0	2	0	22	6	27	5	91	8.1	2.2	1.8	10.0	0%	.304	1.15	4.14	3.33	67	2.48	51.2	0.8
2005	NYN	MLB	42	46.7	1	3	0	56	13	43	3	94	10.8	2.5	0.6	8.3	0%	.363	1.48	2.87	5.59	74	2.62	56.4	1.5
2006	NYN	MLB	22	37.0	0	0	0	51	11	35	6	94	12.4	2.7	1.5	8.5	0%	.395	1.68	4.21	5.11	77	3.09	62.9	1.0
2007	SDN	MLB	81	93.7	6	4	2	60	30	102	3	90	5.8	2.9	0.3	9.8	0%	.252	0.96	2.43	2.02	56	2.07	42.7	3.5
2008	SDN	MLB	74	78.0	6	6	0	66	28	71	5	89	7.6	3.2	0.6	8.2	0%	.281	1.21	3.30	3.58	85	3.45	73.6	1.7
2009	SDN	MLB	68	69.7	6	4	42	54	24	79	3	84	7.0	3.1	0.4	10.2	0%	.297	1.12	2.37	2.71	68	2.58	55.4	2.1
2010	SDN	MLB	67	70.0	6	1	47	56	28	86	1	84	7.2	3.6	0.1	11.1	0%	.322	1.20	2.07	1.93	71	2.82	63.8	1.7
2011	SDN	MLB	64	62.7	3	4	43	51	21	51	4	88	7.3	3.0	0.6	7.3	0%	.261	1.15	3.19	2.44	88	3.21	74.7	1.1
2012	MIA	MLB	73	63.7	4	5	19	70	29	59	5	95	9.9	4.1	0.7	8.3	0%	.340	1.55	3.76	5.09	98	4.85	111.2	0.0
2013	ARI	MLB	69	65.7	5	2	15	74	16	72	12	102	10.1	2.2	1.6	9.9	0%	.337	1.37	4.07	4.11	89	3.87	92.7	0.6
2014	TBA	MLB	13	17.3	1	1	0	24	8	12	1	95	12.5	4.2	0.5	6.2	0%	.365	1.85	4.60	7.27	110	5.03	123.3	-0.1
Career		MLB	590	628.7	38	32	168	584	214	637	48	91	8.4	3.1	0.7	9.1	50%	.312	1.27	3.14	3.49	79	3.16	70.4	13.8

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	GS	IP	W	L	SV	H	BB	SO	HR	PPF	H/9	BB/9	HR/9	K/9	GB%	BABIP	WHIP	FIP	ERA	cFIP	DRA	DRA-
1998	KNG	Rk	APL	22	0	46.0	1	0	8	40	11	61	5		7.8	2.2	1.0	11.9	0%	-.455	1.11	3.57	2.54	0	0.00	0.0
1999	CMB	A	SAL	55	0	62.3	1	7	25	47	17	68	3		6.8	2.5	0.4	9.8	0%	-.500	1.03	2.81	2.60	0	0.00	0.0
2000	SLU	A+	FSL	48	0	60.0	5	1	23	43	21	75	4		6.5	3.2	0.6	11.3	0%	-.382	1.07	2.90	2.55	0	0.00	0.0
2001	BIN	AA	EAS	43	0	61.3	3	1	4	82	19	55	13		12.0	2.8	1.9	8.1	0%	-.767	1.65	5.24	6.02	0	0.00	0.0
2002	BIN	AA	EAS	24	0	38.0	1	0	6	22	6	49	0		5.2	1.4	0.0	11.6	0%	.262	0.74	1.08	1.18	0	0.00	0.0
2002	NOR	AAA	INT	22	0	31.7	3	4	5	38	9	28	2		10.8	2.6	0.6	7.9	0%	.353	1.48	3.09	4.26	0	0.00	0.0
2003	NOR	AAA	INT	40	0	49.7	2	3	3	54	8	54	4		9.8	1.4	0.7	9.8	0%	.362	1.25	2.76	4.71	0	0.00	0.0
2004	NYN	MLB	NL	17	0	24.3	0	2	0	22	6	27	5	91	8.1	2.2	1.8	10.0	0%	.304	1.15	4.14	3.33	67	2.48	51.2
2004	BIN	AA	EAS	1	0	2.0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0		9.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0%	.250	1.00	3.25	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
2004	NOR	AAA	INT	45	0	55.7	3	1	16	42	24	69	4		6.8	3.9	0.6	11.1	0%	.295	1.18	3.22	3.23	0	0.00	0.0
2005	NYN	MLB	NL	42	0	46.7	1	3	0	56	13	43	3	94	10.8	2.5	0.6	8.3	0%	.363	1.48	2.87	5.59	74	2.62	56.4
2005	NOR	AAA	INT	13	2	26.7	1	0	6	15	5	29	1	95	5.1	1.7	0.3	9.8	0%	-.400	0.75	2.08	1.69	59	2.51	49.4
2006	NYN	MLB	NL	22	0	37.0	0	0	0	51	11	35	6	94	12.4	2.7	1.5	8.5	0%	.395	1.68	4.21	5.11	77	3.09	62.9
2006	NOR	AAA	INT	30	0	35.1	3	3	12	27	8	56	1	75	6.9	2.1	0.3	14.4	0%	.342	1.00	1.02	1.28	44	2.53	53.1
2007	SDN	MLB	NL	81	0	93.7	6	4	2	60	30	102	3	90	5.8	2.9	0.3	9.8	0%	.252	0.96	2.43	2.02	56	2.07	42.7
2008	SDN	MLB	NL	74	0	78.0	6	6	0	66	28	71	5	89	7.6	3.2	0.6	8.2	0%	.281	1.21	3.30	3.58	85	3.45	73.6
2009	SDN	MLB	NL	68	0	69.7	6	4	42	54	24	79	3	84	7.0	3.1	0.4	10.2	0%	.297	1.12	2.37	2.71	68	2.58	55.4
2010	SDN	MLB	NL	67	0	70.0	6	1	47	56	28	86	1	84	7.2	3.6	0.1	11.1	0%	.322	1.20	2.07	1.93	71	2.82	63.8
2011	SDN	MLB	NL	64	0	62.7	3	4	43	51	21	51	4	88	7.3	3.0	0.6	7.3	0%	.261	1.15	3.19	2.44	88	3.21	74.7
2012	MIA	MLB	NL	73	0	63.7	4	5	19	70	29	59	5	95	9.9	4.1	0.7	8.3	0%	.340	1.55	3.76	5.09	98	4.85	111.2
2013	ARI	MLB	NL	69	0	65.7	5	2	15	74	16	72	12	102	10.1	2.2	1.6	9.9	0%	.337	1.37	4.07	4.11	89	3.87	92.7
2013	USA	int	WBC	2	0	2.0	1	0	0	1	0	1	0		4.5	0.0	0.0	4.5	0%	.167	0.50	2.63	0.00	0	0.00	0.0
2014	TBA	MLB	AL	13	0	17.3	1	1	0	24	8	12	1	95	12.5	4.2	0.5	6.2	0%	.365	1.85	4.60	7.27	110	5.03	123.3
2014	NOR	AAA	INT	10	0	10.7	2	0	1	15	6	11	0		12.7	5.1	0.0	9.3	0%	.441	1.97	3.25	4.22	109	6.52	137.9
2014	SWB	AAA	INT	5	0	6.0	0	1	1	7	6	8	1		10.5	9.0	1.5	12.0	0%	.400	2.17	5.84	7.50	109	6.46	136.7

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%
2008	1253	0.5012	0.4254	0.7786	0.5382	0.3120	0.8343	0.6821	0.2214
2009	1181	0.4970	0.4327	0.7495	0.5400	0.3266	0.8360	0.6082	0.2505
2010	1197	0.4854	0.4085	0.7137	0.5491	0.2760	0.8276	0.5000	0.2863
2011	1087	0.4968	0.4453	0.7913	0.5722	0.3199	0.8770	0.6400	0.2087
2012	1175	0.5115	0.4553	0.8112	0.6256	0.2770	0.8883	0.6289	0.1888
2013	1122	0.4893	0.4537	0.7701	0.6138	0.3002	0.8457	0.6221	0.2299
2014	348	0.4339	0.3764	0.8092	0.5166	0.2690	0.8974	0.6792	0.1908
Career	7363	0.4940	0.4335	0.7706	0.5697	0.3002	0.8531	0.6167	0.2294

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2012-09-04	2012-09-05	DTD	1	1	Left	Foot	Soreness		-	-
2012-07-10	2012-07-10	DTD	0	0	-	Lower Leg	Tightness	Calf	-	-
2011-02-15	2011-02-16	Camp	1	0	Left	Lower Leg	Strain	Calf	-
2010-12-16	2010-12-16	Off	0	0		General Medical	Illness	Typhoid Fever	-

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2014	TBA	$5,500,000
2014	ARI	$500,000
2014	MIA	$4,000,000
2013	ARI	$10,000,000
2012	MIA	$7,000,000
2011	SDN	$7,500,000
2010	SDN	$4,000,000
2009	SDN	$1,255,000
2008	SDN	$420,000
2007	SDN	$385,500
2003	SDN	$300,000

Years	Description	Salary
9 yr	Previous	$40,860,500
9 yr	Total	$40,860,500

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
8 y 141 d	Levinsons, ACES	1 year (2015)

Details

1 year (2015). Signed by Washington as a free agent 12/23/14 (minor-league contract with salary of $1M in majors). May earn additional $1M in performance bonuses. Released by Washington 3/23/15. Retired 3/15.
3 years/$27M (2012-14), plus 2015 vesting option. Signed by Miami as a free agent 12/5/11. $3M signing bonus (deferred without interest). 12:$6M, 13:$9M, 14:$9M. 2015 option guaranteed at $9M with 55 games finished in 2014 or 100 GF in 2013-14. Acquired by Arizona in trade from Miami 10/20/12. Marlins pay $8M of remaining $21M on contract. Acquired by Tampa Bay in trade from Arizona 12/3/13. (Diamondbacks pay $0.5M of 2014 salary. Marlins pay $4M of 2014 salary.) DFA by Tampa Bay 5/4/14. Released by Tampa Bay 5/11/14. Signed by Baltimore as a free agent 5/18/14 (minor-league contract). Opted out of contract with Baltimore 6/8/14. Signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 6/13/14 (minor-league contract).
1 year/$7.5M (2011). Re-signed by San Diego 1/18/11 (avoided arbitration).
1 year/$4M (2010). Re-signed 1/15/10 (avoided arbitration).
1 year/$1.255M (2009). Re-signed 1/20/09 (avoided arbitration 1/20/09).
1 year/$0.42M (2008). Re-signed 3/3/08.
1 year/$0.3855M (2007). Acquired by San Diego in trade from NY Mets 11/06. Signed by San Diego 3/07.
1 year (2006). Re-signed 3/06.
1 year (2005). Re-signed 3/05.
1 year/$0.3M (2003) (split contract).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	W	L	SV	G	GS	IP	H	BB	SO	HR	BABIP	WHIP	ERA	DRA	VORP	WARP
Weighted Mean	?	?	?	?	?	0.0	?	0	0	?	.000	0.00	0.00	?	0.0	0.0

BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Heath Bell

BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2013-10-30 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Matthew, Have Uehara,Balfour, and Cook,is there chance all three could close next year? (vampires from michigan)	Absolutely. There's a chance you could close next year. Or me. Well, not me. But you! Just look at who was closing a few seasons ago. Or, heck, I'll tell you. In 2010, the top five in saves were: 1. Brian Wilson 2. Heath Bell 3. Rafael Soriano 4. Joakim Soria 5. Matt Capps I'm sure all those guys will get shots to close and I'm sure some of them will falter (or get injured) because some of them always falter (or get injured) and will get replaced. (Matthew Kory)
2013-04-16 20:00:00 (link to chat)	How do I value Addison Reed if I just started a dynasty rebuild? I know closers should be the first thing to go in a rebuild, but I can't help but believe he's relatively stable and likely to help me when I compete again in 2-3 years. Thanks (JoeTinker from Chicago)	Here is a list of all closers who recorded 25 or more saves in 2010: Brian Wilson (48), Heath Bell (47), Rafael Soriano (45), Joakim Soria (43), Matt Capps (42), Neftali Feliz (40), Francisco Cordero (40), Carlos Marmol (38), Billy Wagner (37), Jonathan Papelbon (37), Kevin Gregg (37), Mariano Rivera (33), David Aardsma (31), Juan Oviedo (30), Bobby Jenks (27), Ryan Franklin (27), Brad Lidge (27), Jose Valverde (26), Francisco Rodriguez (25) and Andrew Bailey (25). (Bret Sayre)
2012-09-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which MLB locker room most closely resembles a frathouse? And why? Also, which clubhouse do you imagine is most like a joy-free high school study hall run by that one teacher's aide who is able to suck the life and fun out of everything? (Will from Rochester)	Ol' Tracer has to be the least fun skipper in baseball, don't you think? All prayer circles and good works and introspection all the time? That's why the Rockies are so terrible, y'know. You can look it up. Red Sox clubhouse might be the most out of control right now, since Bobby V is basically a substitute teacher right now. Everyone knows they don't have to do anything he says. Marlins might be the most fun, though. Look how they closed ranks behind Ozzie around this whole Heath Bell thing. (Ian Miller)
2012-07-11 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Any reason to own Heath Bell in 10-team? every time my ERA corrects a bit he destroys it... (lesley from CT)	If collecting bad contracts and ratios are a category in your league, he's an MVP candidate. Outside of that, nope. (Jason Collette)
2011-11-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I hear that odds are Pads won't re-sign Heath Bell, but who else is giving him offers? Also, if he leaves San Diego, would that hurt his fantasy value (worse ballpark) or help (better team)? (Noah Braun from San Diego)	I haven't heard of any concrete offers yet, but the Red Sox sound like they're going to be in on the remaining top closers (Bell and Ryan Madson). The Jays have been linked, but it seems more likely they'll go for a cheaper option. Other teams without clear closers like the Reds and Dodgers could also get involved. The Padres might still be the favorite, though, especially if the Red Sox go a different direction (i.e. Madson, a cheaper option to compete with Bard, or a trade for someone like Joel Hanrahan). It would likely hurt his value if he did leave, but the extent would depend on where he ends up. Being on a better team is more important for starting pitchers than relievers, since offense has a smaller impact on save chances than it does on a starter's wins. The defense will of course matter for his ratios, but as long as he's a closer, he'll be a good bet for 30-35 saves, as he would be in San Diego. It's also worth noting that Bell saw a big drop in K rate this year (20% compared to 29% in 2009-2010), and Pecto actually inflates Ks by 10 percent over a neutral park. That's going to be something we'll really need to keep an eye on next year, but it's not enough to make me shy away from him if I need a closer in my leagues and he's affordable. (Derek Carty)
2011-11-16 13:30:00 (link to chat)	Where do you think Heath Bell winds up when all is said and done? (Greg from San Diego)	Six feet under like the rest of us, I'm afraid. As for the short-term, I haven't heard any teams strongly linked to Bell yet. As Derek pointed out yesterday, his K rate suffered last season, and teams may be wary of committing to him outside of Petco. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-09-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What's your take on year 2 of the Jed Hoyer era in San Diego? (Arby's from Good mood food)	Why wasn't Heath Bell traded? ...I have to admit I haven't seen too many Friars games this year, being generally more focused on the AL East, but it's really hard for me to come to a judgment in that other than Chase Headley, Cameron Maybin, Kyle Blanks, Corey Luebke, and Mat Latos, and (likely) Anthony Rizzo, I see a lot of guys who are basically just interim types. I wish they had gotten more playing time for James Darnell. (Steven Goldman)
2011-08-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Breaking news: the Giants claim Heath Bell off waivers. Wilson may be more injured than we know. (Beau from San Francisco )	That's awesome! Not that Wilson may be hurt enough that he needs a rest-of-season replacement, but I love it when teams do whatever they can to get better down the stretch. Even if Wilson is okay, another arm in the bullpen can't do anything but help if the price isn't too steep. (Ken Funck)
2011-07-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Kevin, thanks for coming to Newberg Night. While Heath Bell seems to be the big prize, it also seems like half of MLB has righthanded relief help available to trade. Is somebody going to overpay for Bell, while many viable less expensive alternatives are available? (mkb from Dallas)	Yes. Somebody is going to overpay for Bell, and that team is likely the Texas Rangers. (Kevin Goldstein)
2011-07-13 12:30:00 (link to chat)	Do you see the Angels trying to acquire Heath Bell? They seem unlikely to be able to acquire a decent 3B with power, so would their best bet to make (and advance in) the post-season be to ride Weaver and Haren and a shut-down bullpen? (Dennis from LA)	That's not the worst idea, though the Angels have already committed quite a few bucks to their bullpen and Jordan Walden hasn't disappointed. Yikes, Tyler Chatwood has a 4.7 BB/9, a 4.7 K/9, and a 3.62 ERA. I know he's a groundballer, but something's gotta give. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-07-13 12:30:00 (link to chat)	How much more do you think the Padres will want for Mike Adams and the extra year of team control compared to the price for Heath Bell? (Dennis from LA)	Adams is awesome and not an impending free agent, so it might take a real prospect to get him, but enough relievers seem to be on the market this summer to depress the asking price for any one of them. (Ben Lindbergh)
2011-06-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If you're the Rangers GM, what would you give up for Heath Bell? Is it crazy to ask for Profar? Would it have to be Bell + something? (preams from San Diego)	It's not crazy to ask for Profar, but it's crazy for the Rangers to say yes. I'd give up talent for Bell, but not premium talent. (Jason Parks)
2010-11-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm guessing Gwynn goes back to his correct role of 5th OF who provides a great glove and some speed off the bench. We are going to find out if the Padres reliever identification ability can go on without Towers and Depodesta (credited by some sources locally for Heath Bell). I suspect the park and focus on power pitchers will allow that to continue, but it's going to be a big deal going forward. Those cheap but great bullpens are going to be necessary under the Padres austerity. (formersd from San Diego)	The real question is, what happens to Marc Normandin in a world without regular doses of Thin Gwynn? Agreed, it should be interesting to see whether the Padres can sustain their reliever mill in the absence of Towers' bullpen whispering, though perhaps slightly less interesting than the answer to the question of how quickly Towers can repair a historically broken bullpen in Arizona. Looks like I'm not much good at formatting links right now, but that above link to Jay's de la Rosa story does work, despite my unnecessary repetition. (Ben Lindbergh)
2010-10-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Why did Jonathon Broxton help ruin my fantasy team's chance at a 3-peat this year? Can you see him bouncing back next year? Which is a better Nintendo cover band, the NESkimos or Power Glove? (jnelson33 from Office Desk)	I just got off the phone with Jonathan Broxton, and he told me it's because he doesn't like you. He also said he doesn't like me, and wanted to ruin my fantasy closer rankings. Then he said something about not having a "closer's mentality", and how he think he left it in some pants that were stolen from him at the laundry mat. I think he can bounce back, but I've learned my lesson to rely on a closer that isn't Mariano Rivera, Heath Bell, Joakim Soria or Brian Wilson at the top spot in my rankings. Or anyone named Jonathan. (Marc Normandin)
2010-09-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What should the Padres do with Heath Bell in the off season? It seems like they could get some helpful salary relief and help in the way of a position player and/or prospects without taking to much of a hit in the bullpen considering the sick depth they have. Thanks for the chat, Marc. (Moneyball16 from Calgary)	They should keep him--they could use the draft picks if he ends up walking when his deal is done, and there's no way he accepts arbitration anyways. Bell is worth every penny, and isn't making that much money considering his production--plus the rest of the bullpen makes zilch, so it's not like there's a need to cut further. Heath Bell is one of a handful of closers I actively trust to do his job from year to year. (Marc Normandin)
2010-09-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	And the ex-Met Bell doesn't punch out relatives .... (dianagramr from NYC)	I love Kevin Towers, I really do. And I want him to get another job as a general manager, because he deserves. The fact that the man who acquired Heath Bell and Royce Ring for Jon Adkins and Ben Johnson may be a GM in the NL West, and not on the Padres, scares me big time. But as an analyst I love it, because the NL West should become even more ridiculous. (Marc Normandin)
2010-09-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	For fantasy purposes, anybody not getting saves this year that you could see getting saves in 2011? (Marky P. from SoCal)	If the aforementioned Joaquin Benoit gets a gig, there's one. If the Sox move Papelbon, Bard will be the closer. If the Padres move Heath Bell, that's going to be Mike Adam's job. No idea what the situation is with the Mets for next year, but between Parnell and Takahashi they may have some in-house options if they choose that route. (Marc Normandin)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Marc, I think i have a solid Corp of relivers D. Roberton (NYY), Mike Adams (SD), Luke Greggorson (SD), Feliz (TEX), Rivera (NYY), Wanger (ATL)... in a dynasty league, keep them, or trade them in the offseason? (Jquinton82 from NY)	Isn't Wagner possibly retiring? I like Adams and Gregerson a lot--Adams may be the closer in SD next year as well, depending on how things go down with Heath Bell. Feliz is excellent, Rivera is still the best option out there. Robertson's good, but his walks are a bit high--that can work in relief, but he would be one of the guys I would try to move if you could. (Marc Normandin)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Marc, thanks for the chat. Assuming, as it seems relatively safe to do, that the Red Sox miss the playoffs, what do you do this winter if you're Theo Epstein? (mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)	Re-sign Beltre, let Victor walk (picks!), install Saltalamacchia as the starting catcher, pick up Ortiz' option for 2011 rather than signing him to a longer deal with fewer dollars, try to convince Bill Hall to stay for something less than the $7.5M Milwaukee was just paying him, trade Jacoby Ellsbury for a front line relief pitcher + prospect, sign Carl Crawford, shift Kalish to center and hope he doesn't put on any more bulk that will push him to a corner, examine the trade market for Jonathan Papelbon in the off chance someone is willing to give up top prospects for his services. If Papelbon goes, sign Heath Bell. (Marc Normandin)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Hey! Heath Bell is still under Padre control next year! (Jed Hoyer from SD)	That he is! For some reason I thought Adrian Gonzalez had two years left with them heading into this year and Heath Bell had one. That actually makes me happier that he's sticking with them in 2011, to be honest, even at the expense of Boston (who was only signing him in my faux GM position). (Marc Normandin)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Care to gush about how studly the Pads' bullpen is? They remind me of the stacked Angels pen of ought-two. (Functionary from Grey Cubicle, DC)	Well, the other night was a great example. They used four relievers--Ernesto Frieri, Joe Thatcher, Edward Mujica and Tim Stauffer--for three scoreless innings of relief. None of those three relievers are the key pieces in the bullpen (Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson). Their "worst" reliever by ERA is Mujica, who has a K/BB of 11.6 thanks to 58 strikeouts and just five walks. (Marc Normandin)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	D'oh! Addendum: Care to expand on your praise of Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Luke Gregerson, and add lauds and exultates for Joe Thatcher and Edward Mujica? (Functionary from Grey Cubicle, DC)	Joe Thatcher missed the beginning of the season, but in the 27 1/3 innings since he's returned, he's held lefties to a line of .149/.212/.255. Mujica is a beast in the K/BB department as I said. He's given up some homers but seems to have that little problem under control lately, and is flat out dominant at times despite being a back-end option. Bell walks some hitters sometimes, but most of the hits against him are dinky singles, and he can bring it and whiffs plenty of batters. The only closer I trust more than Bell is Mariano Rivera. Luke Gregerson and Mike Adams would be closing for most of the other teams in baseball--even when Gregerson walks batters he's an ace reliever, but this year he's got the walks under control. This is not a Petco bullpen, this is a pen full of really, really good pitchers. (Marc Normandin)
2010-07-12 09:10:15 (link to chat)	The Padres only have two reps to the ASG, and yet Mat Latos isn't one of them. He's having a better year than Heath Bell, right? (dcoonce from bloomington indiana)	Latos is possibly going on the disabled list for a short time with a pretty vague injury. I'm thinking the Padres would prefer he get any rest he can. (Roundtable Administrator)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Don't have to use picks, we protect players. So if you are looking at 5 closers which 5 would be locks for keeping over the next 5 years? (Kyle2099 from Still on the dock)	Jonathan Broxton, Mo Rivera, Heath Bell. Closers are way too easily replaced and their performance ever-shifting for me to go any deeper than that. Those are the only guys I trust in the entire league. (Marc Normandin)
2010-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Given his performs in the second half last year and the beginning of this season, do you think we can actually start to trust Barry Zito? (YD from Philly)	More important than Barry Zito, I'm listening to The Giraffes now that the Pixies are finished with. Back to Zito though, he has a 2.45 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and just 0.6 HR/9 since July 18 of last season (121 1/3 innings). I don't think that the ERA is realistic, but he sure seems to be back on track nowadays. Unrelated, but I just traded Heath Bell and Jason Marquis for David Freese and Mat Latos in a keeper league. I took over someone else's roster, so this year is for rebuilding. I like that return, especially since keeping closers isn't my bag and both of those players are cheap cheap. (Marc Normandin)
2010-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Heath Bell will be traded by _____. My two favorite 8th inning guys that will soon become closers are ______ and ____. (Tad Lucky from Vegas)	July. Mike Adams or Luke Gregerson, maybe? I thought Ryan Madson would be one of the answers to that question, but now he's out for 8 weeks thanks to a temper tantrum. Poor form, Mr. Madson. Someone should have tazed him before he made contact with that chair. (Marc Normandin)
2010-04-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Can the Cardinals muster up enough talent in their farm system to acquire Heath Bell around the deadline? It looks like their bullpen might really need some help this year. (David Vines from NYC)	It's the worst system in baseball, so . . . no. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-03-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What's the objective for the Padres this year? My thinking is that it's sorting through the pitching prospects. (formersd from San Diego)	Turn Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez into 80 WARP from 2012-2016. (Joe Sheehan)
2010-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Wouldn't it make sense for the Twins to deal blocked prospects like Wilson Ramos or Revere/Hicks for Heath Bell? Since Bell would be under control for 2011, they could then flip him for OTHER prospects which fill a need? A win/win, no? Bell covers for Nathan for a year, then turns into prospects who can fill an immediate need (i.e third base). Thoughts? (tommybones from brooklyn)	It sounds as though the Padres are asking for an arm, two legs and a lung for Bell right now, and I think it's unconscionable to think of trading away five-star prospect like Revere - and more - for a closer. The Twins would be better off dealing for one of the guys who draws the short straw in Toronto if they feel like they need to go outside the organization ASAP. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-03-24 11:00:00 (link to chat)	No Heath Bell? After the Mauer signing, I thought we were gonna see a new dawn for the formerly stingy Twins. (tommybones from brooklyn)	Why trade for Bell now? Why not wait until the trade deadline when you know much more about the competitive dynamics of the division? (Tommy Bennett)
2010-03-24 11:00:00 (link to chat)	"Why not wait until the trade deadline when you know much more about the competitive dynamics of the division?" Well, maybe because the division is extremely tight from the outset and a few months of blown saves could be the difference between the post and a long winter? (tommybones from brooklyn)	Good answer, but my guess is they called up Jed Hoyer to ask about Heath Bell and didn't like what they heard. (Tommy Bennett)
2010-03-23 16:30:00 (link to chat)	How concerned are you about the Twins' closer situation? I think a closer-by-committee solution would be fine, but do you foresee a trade for someone like Heath Bell? Is that the best thing the Twins could do? (Akneeland from Over the Rainbow)	The Twins are probably the best team in a weak, tight AL Central. Any team could make a move there and really step forward. The Twins have a clear opening to get better. If the Padres would part with Heath Bell, I'm sure he's probably worth it to the Twins. They can take the division if they stay on top of their game. It's a great chance before one of the other teams gets better and is harder to stay in front of. (Matt Swartz)
2010-03-23 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Twins hold a one run lead going into the bottom of the 9th, the bullpen gate opens and out trots _________ . (tommybones from brooklyn)	Maybe Heath Bell based on how I answered the last question! Otherwise, it could be any of those guys or it could be by committee. Tough for me to speculate. (Matt Swartz)
2009-07-30 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for the chat, John. Are you surprised that the Marlins aren't more active sellers? (frampton from oakland, ca)	Actually, the Marlins are buyers. They're hard after Heath Bell and they feel they have a legit shot at the wild card. As they've shown in the past, they know how to leverage the wild card into World Series titles. (John Perrotto)
2009-08-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What really is the travesty is that he created this situation by trading their cheapest and youngest options a few years back. Heath Bell and Matt Lindstrom were both young and cheap (while also being effective. (lornad11 from Dumont NJ)	Now, now. Who knew that a relief pitcher with great stuff, some nifty peripherals and limited major league exposure would turn a corner in a full-time role? I mean, it's not like he had three pitches, one of them a mid-90s fastball, and was essentially traded for someone who spent as much time playing for the Mets as I have. (Marc Normandin)
2009-05-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Who is going to give up a run first - Heath Bell or Frank Francisco? (goiter6 from MN)	Well, Francisco is cheating by being unavailable. Given that one of these guys pitches in San Diego and the other in Texas, I'll go with Bell. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-05-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Should the Padres sell high on A. Gonzalez and Heath Bell right now? Those guys aren't going to be around by the time the Padres are good again, right? (Jeff from Minnesota)	Gonzalez's under-market contract runs through 2011, which would make him an excellent addition for somebody looking for a multi-year fix at the position; he'd yield worthwhile value at the deadline, certainly. Bell might or might not, but as a guy two years from free agency (after this season) and due for arbitration-inspired pay hikes, some teams might prefer to be a bit more niggardly in the haggle for him. But the question of whether the Pads should seems to me to be answered, "absolutely," because they need to add talent (no matter who is in charge), and if they're dead anyways, at least they have Kyle Blanks to bring up in A-Gonz's place. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	If the Padres are committed to sucking, why the heck are they interested in bringing Hoffman back? (Owen from NJ)	Why not? He's popular, a lifelong Padre, and you can transition over to Heath Bell. You've got to have someone to have a Bobblehead night. (Will Carroll)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2010-07-13 16:30:00	All-Star Game	dianagramr (NYC): Heath Bell, for one, welcomes our new(ish) DEVO overlords. You beat both my line and Kevin's too, D. (Steven Goldman)
2010-07-13 16:30:00	All-Star Game	Heath Bell is auditioning for the role of "Cyclops" in the forthcoming, "X-Men: First Class" movie. (Steven Goldman)
2010-07-13 16:30:00	All-Star Game	The people at Sony Corporation thank Heath Bell immensely. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-07-13 16:30:00	All-Star Game	"Heath Bell still wearing high-tech 3D glasses. They have absolutely no use if you don't have a 3D television." My favorite comment of the night so far from Buck. (Tommy Bennett)

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Heath Bell threw 8,659 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2014, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2014, he relied primarily on his Sinker (93mph) and Curve (82mph), also mixing in a Splitter (86mph) and Fourseam Fastball (93mph).