Blue Jays Rumors: Jays Inquire on Heath Bell

With an abundance of veteran relievers and little chance of contending, most people have viewed the Blue Jays as an obvious source of short-term relief help for teams that aren't stuck trying to get out of fourth place in a ridiculously difficult division.

But according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Jays recently asked San Diego about their closer, Heath Bell. Regarded as one of the biggest names on the trade market, Bell is a free agent after the season, but that lack of a long-term commitment also helps to keep his value down compared to relievers that are under control for longer, like teammate Mike Adams or Chicago's Sean Marshall. 

The more curious part of this equation is trying to figure out why Toronto wants Bell, though. Rosenthal speculates that GM Alex Anthopoulos may want to try to flip Bell again after acquiring him, but he also notes that the club could try to trade for Bell and sign him long-term given the team's struggles in save situations this season.

On another note from the same Rosenthal piece, it appears unlikely that any of those aforementioned veteran relievers, namely Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel and Jason Frasor, will be traded this summer.