Fish Bites: Heath Bell And His Influence On The Miami Clubhouse

As the Miami Marlins’ season came to a close, manager Ozzie Guillen and setup man Heath Bell began making their opinions of each other public, leading to a disrupted Marlins clubhouse. Without hesitation, Bell said that it was "hard to respect" Guillen as a manager. Guillen immediately responded by saying that he respects Bell "as a player, but not necessarily as a person."

Guillen was also quick to add that he wasn’t the only person Bell had thrown under the bus throughout the year.

"I am the No.10 guy he’s talked about this year," Guillen said. "This kid has been saying so many things all year about a lot of people. It was my turn this week."

The relationship between the two did not get off to the best start, as Bell blew several saves in the first month of the season, just after being signed to a three year, $27 million dollar contract with a vesting option for a fourth year.

Guillen, though, continued to stand by Bell. He consistently explained that "Bell is my closer", until it got to the point where Bell’s earned run average was around six, leading Guillen to give the job to Steve Cishek. Guillen was even shown on an episode of "The Franchise" having a discussion with Bell, in which he told Bell that the job was his to lose.

After the trade deadline, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported that the Marlins and Mets were discussing a deal that would send Bell and catcher John Buck to New York for outfielder Jason Bay. The fact that the trade was even considered by the Marlins’ front office core suggests that Miami only has so much confidence in Trevor Hoffman’s successor.

If other teams are interested, the Marlins may not be hesitant to trade Bell.

- In the eyes of manager Ozzie Guillen, "everybody failed." Rumors involving Guillen, the front office, and several players have already begun to spread. "Let's start from the top," manager Guillen said. "Front office failed. Ozzie failed. Coaching staff failed. The players failed. Everybody failed."

- Alex Rodriguez is and always will be a Miami product. Rodriguez has had a tough postseason, and has spent most of it on the bench as a result. Rodriguez might be open to playing for the Marlins, however the Yankees would have to pick up the bulk of Heath Bell's contract, as he is one player that would likely be involved in a possible trade.

- Prior to the start of the season, Miami signed three key free agents in Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Heath Bell. Miami received what they were expecting from two of the three, and Buehrle went 13-13 and pitched more than 200 innings, and Reyes played in all but two of the Marlins' games. Bell, though, had a rough year and was the setup man for most of the year.

- Miami's opening day lineup was completely different from the lineup the Marlins used on the last day of the season. Miami traded away several key players and was plagued by the injury bug, which contributed to the changed lineups.

- Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton has been nominated for the Hank Aaron award for the second consecutive year. "Named in honor of one of the greatest hitters and competitors of all-time, the Hank Aaron Awards recognize each league's best all-around offensive performer," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "Hank's career will forever remain a model of excellence and consistency, and I am glad that the 30 club nominees are following the example of a pillar of our game."

- Heading into the offseason, third base could be considered the biggest question mark for the Marlins. Emilio Bonifacio could play third, and the Marlins don't have a lot of depth at the position after trading Hanley Ramirez and Matt Dominguez prior to the trade deadline.

- Trading Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers is considered "one of the worst deals in baseball history" in the eyes of many. Cabrera continues to have success in Detroit, and has contributed to the Tigers' playoff run.

Around The League

-In the Yankees' Saturday night loss to the Tigers, shortstop Derek Jeter fractured his ankle, and is out for the season. Jeter struggled to get off of the field after the injury. "When Derek Jeter needs help to get off the field, you know it's bad," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

-On Saturday night, Raul Ibanez became the first player in major league history to hit three home runs in the ninth inning or later of a postseason game.

-The NLCS should be everything it has been made out to be. San Francisco's dominant rotation and St.Louis' consistent match-up should make the series come down to the wire.

At Fish Stripes

-Miami used several catchers throughout the season. Here is the Fish Stripes review of them.

-Miami's 2005 draft wasn't very successful. Take a look back at it to see what went wrong.

-The Marlins didn't have a very successful season. Here is the Fish Stripes 2012 season review.

-Trades led to several key players making their homes in different cities. See what trades did and didn't work out for the Marlins here.

-Justin Ruggiano had a great season with the Marlins. Did he play well enough to earn a starting spot in 2013?

-The Marlins' bullpen didn't have the best year. What went right and what didn't?