Miami Marlins Trade Heath Bell to Arizona Diamondbacks

If Alex Rodriguez is indeed traded to the Miami Marlins, as Keith Olbermann wrote in his blog, then the Yankees will not be getting Heath Bell back to help off set the costs.

The Miami Marlins sent their beleaguered closer and free agent bust Heath Bell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three way trade that also involved the Oakland Athletics.

According to the Twitter feed of Sun Sentinel reporter Juan C. Rodriguez, the Marlins will pick up the tab of $8 million of his remaining $21 million contract.

Bell was one of the celebrated free agents brought to Miami for what was supposed to be their glorious entry to being a big market club with a high payroll and a brand new stadium. No doubt they had images of Bell leaping in the air as the closer of the World Series.

Instead it was a match made in hell. He clashed frequently with manager Ozzie Guillen. According to ESPN.com, Bell said on 560 AM's The Dan Sileo Show towards the end of the season that "it is hard to respect a guy that doesn't tell you the truth or doesn't tell you face to face."

That may be true. But Bell could have made Guillen's job easier if he pitched better. He only saved 19 games while posting a 5.09 ERA in 63 2/3 innings. He was consistently removed from the closer role and turned the ninth inning into a horror show in South Florida.

He had to be dealt. And now he will settle in Arizona and the Marlins will continue to shed high priced players less than a year after becoming a big time player.

In exchange the Marlins will acquire minor league shortstop Yordy Cabrera, who played in the Oakland organization's California League team in Stockton last season.

According to scoutingbook.com, the 22-year-old Cabrera is a shortstop with potential power who is projected to be a third baseman.

So far his numbers have not shown him being a reliable power source. But right now he is a name for the future. The main part of this deal was not to bring in Cabrera but to rid the Marlins of Bell.

Essentially the Marlins have continued to cut bait from this terribly disappointing season. The Heath Bell nightmare has ended. Who knows what the Yordy Cabrera era will bring.