Heath Bell doesn't think he's lived up to expectations
by jbox on Jun 4, 2010 2:08 PM PDT
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PrintMoving a player like Heath Bell, hell, any player at this point scares me. It's because I have no idea why this team continues to win. I don't know if anybody can say definitively why they've been so successful. It's a puzzle and the team seems to be held together by chewing gum and dental floss.
Losing Bell might throw off team chemistry and send the team into a tail spin. It's like we're playing a game of Jenga and I don't want to make of the fear that everything will collapse.
But officials of two different teams told Rumblings this week they could see the Padres trading Heath Bell even if they stay in the race.
"Bell is a lot easier to move than Gonzalez," said one. "I don't see why [Mike] Adams can't close, and just move everyone else up one spot. They've got plenty of arms out there."
Bell said recently that he hasn't been able to put those 1-2-3 innings like his bullpen teammates Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson and it might because he doesn't have the same anger fueling his performance. His anger in years past he vaguely says was related to his home life.
"I've always pitched with anger and aggression," Bell says. "I don't have that anger and aggression anymore this year, so it's a little bit different. I want to make sure I am still going to be that dominant pitcher that I knew could be."
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Keep Heater
Unless we can get an amazing freaking deal.
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
Darn his wife and kids
for giving him a happy life >: |
"Lies they are awesome music with an awesome name. Cheers to Heath Bell for having good taste." -Ketchup
Can you add another poll option?
Because I’m torn
twitter.com/matthewverygood
by matthewverygood on Jun 4, 2010 2:14 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
sing it Natalie
"You know, I was thinking of getting my bartender's license." Alan -The Hangover
by icaughthundleys#4 on Jun 4, 2010 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Fine
I went with “don’t mess”
twitter.com/matthewverygood
by matthewverygood on Jun 4, 2010 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Gotta keep him!
Just like how Mud refers to Eck as the team mascot, Heath is so much more important to this team than his on-field abilities. Remember back to last last year, or this past offseason, or spring tranining? Heath was constantly a source of positivity about the team’s abilities. He is at the core of this team’s identity, just as much as Eck is.
The reason Heath hasn't had many 1-2-3 innings
is because he’s been unlucky on balls in play. The fact that his ERA is still 1.13 shows just how amazingly good he’s pitching.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 2:24 PM PDT reply actions
The elephant in the room
Is that Heath Bell will be quite expensive relative to the rest of the team next year. If someone on this team can do 90% of his job at a fraction of the cost (or some cascade effect of Adams, who makes a decent chunk of change, replacing Bell, Gregerson replacing Adams and so on and so on until you basically get a guy making the minimum replacing Bell’s roster spot in the bullpen) and then take that savings to help the team elsewhere, then he’s worth trading. Does that mean you need to trade him before he’s due more money next year? No. But, if you can upgrade this team’s offense by doing so and the rest of the ’pen is still healthy then there is a lot to gain by making such a move. However, that gain will not be in the PR department.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I am trying to figure out where we upgrade offensively
I assume we get an outfielder or a better bench. But Denorfia is playing well, Scotty is a Petco beast, TGJ is great at defense… a new outfielder is essentially a signal that we give up on Venable or Blanks… Do we improve our bench and get a couple prospects? If so does that help us today? I just don’t see such a desperate hole that we HAVE to make a move right now.
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
Are we really hurting there enough?
CF is a skill position… in other words I will take weak offense at CF and SS in exchange for awesome defense. If we are looking to upgrade the O, I think we have to look elsewhere than CF… especially since Scotty is an option there… or Denorfia.
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
Scotty has shown that he cannot hold up
as an every day player and Denorfia is a strech as a centerfielder. By getting a good all around center fielder you could replace a player with a relataively low ceiling in Gwynn as opposed to a high ceiling player like Blanks. That and you get your biggest offensive bump, because Gwynn is still the weakest offensive link.
Do you keep TGJ on the bench? Or do you DFA Salad Czar or Stairs?
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
I would be inclined to keep Gwynn
and let Stairs go. I would prefer more infield depth on the roster, but Stairs does not provide that anyway.
In the days of 12 man pitching staffs
You basically can only afford one backup infielder since they are too light hitting to be solid pinch hitters anyway. That’s just the way things are.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I'm thinking LF
Blanks can stay in the minors if we know that we have a genuine above replacement level (or, gasp, league average) production at LF. And if Blanks starts to mash then you could platoon him with Venable. If you pull that off then you can let Salad Czar go pretty easily and keep Gwynn and/or Denorfia around to keep Hairston fresh. You then deal with 2011 when it comes. The logistics easy to comprehend, it’s getting the right place in return at the right price that’s hard.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I agree that LF makes the most sense.
But I would hope whoever we get can play either corner outfield position… I cringe to think of Blanks in RF…
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
It's been our weakest position so far
On both the offensive and defensive ends (Hairston has played enough CF to actually make the position better offensively for the year even with Gwynn’s, uh, issues).
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
no
Like I said, that’s the hard part.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Luke Scott?
But he’s not controllable past this year.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions
That doesn't sound like a good fit
I’d be wary of any low average, good obp, power guys who can’t play defense. Petco will crush their souls and spit them out as foul mouthed whiny has-beens (Hi, Nevin!).
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Scott has a career 6.7 UZR in left field.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions
*UZR/150
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Bad trend (which could correlate to age or lack of practice due to DHing)
-6.5 in 2010
-5.8 in 2009
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I'm just thinking that this team is desperate for some OBP and power beyond just Adrian.
Scott seems like a good fit, in that he offers those things, and plays decent defense.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions
except
He probably won’t play decent defense. Or OBP or power.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
What kind of guy do you look for then?
If you can’t trust guys who do have good OBP and power in other parks. Do you have to find a monster? Because if so then there’s no one.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions
There are players available,
but they haven’t broken out yet. They may very well be targeting players they like, who are blocked at the major league level.
I would trust
A player like David DeJesus moreso than Luke Scott. How about that?
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
By "How about that?"
I just mean that I could think of guys I could trust more to keep their numbers. I don’t really want to get into the merits of a DeJesus trade here.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I'm seriously wondering though.
How do you tell the difference between a guy who will keep their numbers and a guy who won’t?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
If they resemble Phil Nevin or Ryan Klesko
We don’t want them.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Phil Nevin
put up a .368 wOBA and 133 wRC+ in 2004.
And Klesko from 2004-05 had a .350ish wOBA and 120ish wRC+.
What’s so horrible about that?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions
But I'm trying to be serious.
How do you tell if a guy “resembles” Phil or Ryan?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Bolts From The Blue - Heavy with the facts, slightly less heavy with the opinions.
by Zach (maestro876) on Jun 4, 2010 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Is it that hard
No baserunning ability. Power is declining or was middling to begin with. Not much defensive ability. Low contact rates. Above average discrepancy in platoon splits. I’d be wary of any player that fit that description. I don’t know if that exactly describes those two, but those are the types of players that could hit enough HRs to make up for their deficiencies in other ballparks, but potentially would be in for a world of pain here.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
and when Adams becomes a dominant closer
we ship him out the door too
when do we finally pay a guy for a job well done, and keep him around?
so frustrating being a fan of this “small market” team
"You know, I was thinking of getting my bartender's license." Alan -The Hangover
by icaughthundleys#4 on Jun 4, 2010 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions
here lies the the
conundrum of being a Padres fan. You gotta love it.
"There are two great tragedies in life: One is not getting what one wants; the other is getting it."
"I like to consider the padres' team as a microcosm, or symbolic representation of my daily endeavor towards inner salvation." — Mysterious Cloaked Padre Fan
The key is
That even the best closer can be replaced by a guy who can do 90% of his job at a fraction of the cost. So, while I do think a small or mid market team can afford to pay certain players for a job well done (or rather for a job that they project to continue to do well), closer is probably not the position you want to do that with.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Hell to the no.
If there is a LEGITIMATE concern about his salary, we trade him, fine. But not at the deadline— NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BEST SEASON WE’VE HAD IN YEARS.
apologies for the cruise control… I guess nothing is a no-brainer with this team.
The Padres are good, but make no mistake: we've gotta beef up the linwup.
If I had a nickel from every SBN blog that has banned me, Arrowhead Pride would owe me 5¢.
Keep in mind
that this is a guy who has publicly stated that he wants to take the San Diego discount.
www.FriarsOnCardboard.blogspot.com
"jbox does not drink coffee, as it makes him clean house big time." ~Kev
His next year is an arbiration year
He can’t take a discount without signing a long term contract first since the union will basically make him go through the arbitration process
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
You think he'd do something like 4yrs/$20mil?
by theodore donald kerabatsos on Jun 4, 2010 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I think that is too expensive / long for a reliever who is already in his early 30's.
"This team looks dangerous, like a convict with a temper, nothing to lose and a switch blade." -jbox
4/$15M
seems more reasonable with our budget, but could still be problematic if the team doesn’t get better attendance.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
I think that'd be cheap by comparison...
Brad Lidge — 3 years/$37.5M
Broxton — 2 years/$11M (arbitration)
K-Rod — 3 years/$37M
Papelbon — 1 year/$9.5M (arbitration)
Rivera — 3 years/$45M
Most of the top closers get $5 – 14 mil/yr when they hit free agency.
by theodore donald kerabatsos on Jun 4, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
It would be cheap
But that doesn’t make it affordable.
No, I don't think you're an idiot. Please don't go trying to prove me wrong about that.
Bolts from the Blue - General Manager: It is what it isn't
Never in a million years
would Jed sign a reliever to that kind of deal. He comes from Boston where the modus operandi is that relievers are inconsistent and unpredictable and that big investments in them are the height of stupidity. Especially with a limited budget.
In that case
As long as we get to pick his entrance music, he can stay.
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play
Sooner or Later?
Diary of Jane?
"Lies they are awesome music with an awesome name. Cheers to Heath Bell for having good taste." -Ketchup
By "we"
I meant everyone but you.
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? ◔ヮ◔
Uncommon Sportsman :: Absurdity in play
by Axion on Jun 4, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
My mind says, "Stop," but my heart and my hips cry, "Proceed."
twitter.com/matthewverygood
by matthewverygood on Jun 4, 2010 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I love Jon Michael Adams
He’s my guy. I haven’t asked him if he would like to be a closer, although I think that may be every bullpen guy’s dream. One I did ask said yes.
But, I truly hope the Padres don’t mess with the Luke-Mike-Heath Bullpen Trifecta. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
The only reason this talk comes up is because the Padres’ offense is broke and needs fixing. Which is most unfortunate.
"Savvy Chicks Dig the Bullpen"
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