2012 MLB Free Agents: Marlins “Going Strong After” Heath Bell
By Editorial Staff
Another day, another high-profile free agent tied to the Miami Marlins. This time the Marlins are reportedly making a hard push to sign free agent closer Heath Bell. Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post is reporting that the Marlins are “going strong after” Bell. Jon Heyman of SI.com confirmed the whispers Capozzi heard this morning via Twitter.
According to ESPN, Bell was close to reaching an agreement with a team last night. Bell and his Twitter feed seemed to contradict that sentiment following the announcement.
The veteran finisher told MLB.com that he hadn’t heard any news of a deal from his agent. Bell went on to tweet that the most exciting thing that had happened to him yesterday was the hanging of his Christmas lights. Bell followed this up with a more clear statement, telling his followers that there was “no news”.
The Marlins have had a solid closer for the past several years. The only problem is that Juan Carlos Oviedo, the pitcher formerly known as Leo Nunez, is currently on MLB’s restricted list while he sorts out his identity issues in the Dominican Republic.
Because of these legal issues, Capozzi speculates that the Marlins could simply non-tender Oviedo and look to fill his role through free agency.
Enter Heath Bell. Miami has expressed interest in Bell over the years, but the Padres were never willing to deal the fan favorite. Now Bell is there to be had on the open market, but the Marlins will be facing some stiff competition if they are truly trying to reel in the free agent.
Besides the Marlins, Bell has been linked to the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Angels, Mets and Reds as well as his former club. San Diego already has a two-year deal on the table for Bell, who has indicated that he’d love to remain with the Padres. It’s TBD if Bell’s love for SD will mean he’s willing to take a significant pay cut.
For more on the Marlins, be sure to check out Marlin Maniac.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.