Bell to Cubs?

Padres closer Heath Bell is 2-1 in 25 games with 1.42 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, but is making just 1.5 million dollars in 2009. Bell won't be a free agent until after the 2011 season, but his salary will continue to climb if he continues to throw the ball well. If the Padres were to make the closer available, we should expect to see a lot of teams calling.

One of those teams could be the Cubs, one source believes. Current Cubs closer Kevin Gregg has been very inconsistent, and Carlos Marmol hasn't been as dominant as he was in 2008. Angel Guzman is emerging as a solid late inning reliever, taking a lot of time away from the struggling Aaron Heilman. The Cubs' bullpen used to be rock solid, and now it is a huge question mark. Cubs starter Randy Wells should have three wins, but the bullpen has blown the lead three times, denying him of his first career win. A Guzman-Marmol-Bell tandem would make for one of the best in baseball.

The Yankees are a possible destination for Bell also.