The Tampa Bay Rays and pitcher Heath Bell have parted ways, following his designation for assignment exactly a week ago. The Rays will still owe Bell $5.5 million of his $9 million contract this season. That number was decided upon when the Rays acquired the right-hander from the Diamondbacks this offseason. Bell did not draw much trade interest. Since going to the All Star game and posting a 146 ERA+ with the Padres in 2011, Bell's ERA+ has dropped noticeably. He has posted an 80 ERA+ in 2012, a 93 ERA+ in '13, and a horrific 54 ERA+ so far in '14. He's gone 1-1 with a 7.27 ERA and a 1.846 WHIP in 13 games with the Rays this season (17.1 IP). He's allowed 24 hits, 16 runs (14 earned runs), while posting a 12/9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It will be interesting to see where Bell latches on to following his release. It's hard for me to picture him as a free agent throughout the season. He could sign with a team in need of bullpen help on a minor-league deal, in order to provide depth. However, it does not seem like Bell can regain his top notch form, as his velocity has dropped significantly since he was the anchor at the back of the Padres bullpen.
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The Detroit Tigers, with one of the baseball's worst bullpens, have signed relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, they announced. The deal is a one-year, $1 million Major League contract, which includes incentives that can boost his salary up to $3 million, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Hanrahan will begin the season on the disabled list in order to build up arm strength in the minor leagues. Hanrahan, 32, is coming off of a 2013 campaign that was shortened due to having Tommy John surgery. He was throwing as hard as 93 MPH in a showcase that he held for teams just a few weeks ago, which prompted many teams to show interest in signing him. In the three years before his surgery, from 2010 to 2012, Joel Hanrahan was a fantastic for the Pirates. During that time, he went 10-7 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.172 WHIP over 205 games, in which he pitched 198 innings (141 ERA+). From 2011 to 2012, Hanrahan averaged 38 saves a seasons. The Tigers were smart to take a chance on Hanrahan, especially since he was brilliant prior to having needed his surgery. The Tigers bullpen has been one of the worst in the Major Leagues, posting the second-worst bullpen ERA, fourth-worst batting average against, and have allowed the third-worst OPS. In order to be a contender this season, the Tigers needed to improve their bullpen and taking a chance on Hanrahan definitely serves that purpose. He could be really key down the stretch. The Atlanta Braves and third baseman Chris Johnson have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $23.5 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and ESPN's Buster Olney. The Braves will be able to control Johnson's two arbitration years, along with a season of free agency. The deal also includes a club option for the 2018 season, which is worth $10 million. Johnson, 29, had a career year in 2013. He hit .321/.358/.457 with 12 home runs and 68 runs batted in in 547 plate appearances. The metrics liked Johnson's 2013 campaign. He posted a 121 OPS+ along with a 2.4 WAR, both career highs. The fourth round pick by the Houston Astros back in 2006 is hitting .231/.260/.330 with one home run and four runs batted in in 96 plate appearances so far this season. Johnson was acquired by the Braves in 2013, when he and Justin Upton headed to Atlanta for Randall Delgado, Martin Prado, Zeke Spruill, and a few minor leaguers. "Chris has proved over the last year to be a valuable member of our team," general manager Frank Wren said. "We are happy to reach an agreement with him on this deal." Johnson currently makes $4.75 million, so his new contract is considerably higher than his old one, especially since it covers two arbitration years. The Braves in particular have been diligent in extending their young players, as Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Julio Teheran, and Craig Kimbrel have all been recently locked up to new deals. They have already committed $280.7 million to those players, and have extended their team control to all but Heyward. |
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