42 saves comes cheap this day and age

[Kingdom]

For 4 million, you get the keep the services of Heath Bell from arbitration and possibly get a large sum of money.

ERA under 3? Check
Good WHIP? Check
Probably someone you don't want to meet in a dark alley? Check

First year as a closer, it was a pretty successful one. Does he pull it off again so he can break the bank with San Diego or, likely get dealt to another team and break someone else's bank?

Closer Heath Bell agrees to one-year, $4 million contract with San Diego Padres - ESPN

[HollywoodLeo]

[realmofotalk]

ERA under 3? Check
Good WHIP? Check
Probably someone you don't want to meet in a dark alley? Check

LOL, let's wait until Bell has closed a meaningful game until we crown his ass, okay? We just saw Broxton, Lidge, Franklin, Street, Fuentes, Papelbon, and Nathan each cost their respective teams dearly in the playoffs. Bell has shown nothing so far to indicate that he would've handled pressure any better than those guys.

[cjkalt]

LOL, let's wait until Bell has closed a meaningful game until we crown his ass, okay? We just saw Broxton, Lidge, Franklin, Street, Fuentes, Papelbon, and Nathan each cost their respective teams dearly in the playoffs. Bell has shown nothing so far to indicate that he would've handled pressure any better than those guys.

Every closer blows playoff games... Mo started the 2004 choke against the Red Sox, Hoffman blew that game in the WS way back when...

Mo and Paps are 2 of the best playoff closers in a long time so we'll see if Bell can handle the pressure

[redsrbetter]

I am pretty interested in Bell and Bailey (from Oakland). It's fun to watch new closers come in and make a name for themselves. Some stick and some don't. But Bell fit in real nice last year as a replacement for Hoffman.

[Kingdom]

Closing meaningful games wasn't on the check list. I guess one of Broxton's gopher balls plunked you in the face, caused you to be cross eyed. Fitting.

[realmofotalk]

Oh, sorry, I assumed the most meaningful step of achieving dark alley badassery status as a closer is to have actually closed meaningful games. Yeah, he's awesome because he gets to go golfing during the entire playoffs and completely avoid the possibility of being a playoff turkey.

And Broxton served up a bounteous one more gopher ball than Bell last year. One. Wow, you got me.

[HollywoodLeo]

He can't close a meaningful game until he plays in one.

[redsrbetter]

I simply can't blame a closer for a team's inability to contend. Unless the closer is an obvious part of the inadequacy, we can't fault his not being able to be a part of a category that he has not reached. I don't even look at his ability in a big game because we don't know if he can handle it or not. I definitely can't handicap his ranking because of how his entire team has performed.

He can be compared stats wise, but to compare him to those who are perennial playoff contenders is impossible because the category should not even be accessible for those who have not done it. You simply never know until he gets there.

[realmofotalk]

Ugh, fuck Broxton. It hurts even more that Brian Wilson, who I had hoped would fold under pressure in the playoffs, got the job done.

[Kingdom]

Maybe the Cardinals will trade you Ryan Franklin for some Broxton love.

[love_that_reefer]

What the hell does this have to do with Broxton or Brian Wilson?