THE PAST: Originally signed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after he was selected with a supplemental first-round pick in 2005, the California native advanced through the Angels organization to earn a major-league berth in 2009, going 1-2 with a 9.74 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts. Bell also split 2010-11 between Triple-A Salt Lake and the majors, pitching mostly in relief in the majors but largely as a starter in the minors. Last season he began with Salt Lake, the Angels’ Pacific Coast League affiliate, but suffered a strained right elbow that limited him to 10 starts, only four of which came after May 6. Bell posted a 1-6 record and 8.27 ERA before he was released by the Bees.
THE FUTURE: The biggest question surrounding Bell is his health, namely if the elbow injury has healed. If that is the case, Bell could become a starter for the Mud Hens; in 2009, his last season as a full-time starter in Triple-A, he posted a 3.15 ERA. Bell is a command pitcher with a plus curve, boasting a nearly 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for his career.
WORTH NOTING: Bell is the grandson of the late Bob Bell. You probably know the elder Bell as Bozo the Clown, as he filled that role from 1960 to 1984.
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