On the rumor front: Heath Bell

First thing I was hit with upon arrival today was that the Rangers have inquired about San Diego reliever Heath Bell. Bell, 32, had 42 saves last season with San Diego but is likely to see his salary jump significantly from $1.25 million to $4 million or above in arbitration. The Padres are looking for catching, a right-handed hitting center fielder and a middle infielder. The Rangers should be a potential fit on the catching front, but find themselves uncertain right now about the future of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. After shoulder soreness sidelined him just two games into a stint in the Dominican Winter League, he was sent home and told not to throw for the remainder of the month. It's unlikely the Rangers will know about him until spring training and that would make engaging San Diego in talks about a catcher risky. "Until we know with any certainty what the situation is with Jarrod, it's unlikely we'd consider trading anybody," GM Jon Daniels said. So, f...