Diamondbacks ready to give Heath Bell a ring?

Aug 23, 2011, 3:27 PM | Updated: 4:57 pm

Those sneaky, sneaky Diamondbacks.

Suddenly their recent slide makes sense, as ESPN’s Buster Olney reports D-backs GM Kevin Towers will place a claim on Heath Bell, who was placed on waivers Monday by the Padres.

For the D-backs to acquire Bell he would have to last until their spot in the claiming order, which goes from the bottom up in terms of record. So, if Arizona wants to land one of the game’s best relievers, he’ll first have to get past the Giants, among other teams.

As Olney notes in the blog, chances are San Francisco won’t pass on Bell and allow him to reach Arizona, especially with their own closer sitting idle on the disabled list.

So, perhaps the Diamondbacks are hoping to lose enough games so that the Giants can pass them in the standings and thus, give Arizona first crack at Bell. Only problem is the Giants are not cooperating, as they’ve been keeping pace with the D-backs during their recent swoon.

To be fair, that’s not likely the case. And, as it stands, Bell is not likely to land in Arizona.

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Diamondbacks ready to give Heath Bell a ring?