Derek Bell

We'll give you (fill in player name) if you will take Derek Bell. This sentence seemed to form the essence of several trades Derek Bell was involved during his career. Offering undercover policewoman cash fo.r favors, dissing the manager the day he comes back from brain surgery and going into Operation Shutdown do not endear you to the team.

Derek Bell was drafted in 1987 by the Blue Jays, he made his major league in 1991 and won a World Series with the Jays in '92. Then his travels begin, before the '93 season he and Stoney Briggs were traded to the Padres for Darrin Jackson. After the '94 season the Padres made one of their "let's get rid of a chunk of the team" deals trading Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez, Phil Plantier and Craig Shipley to the Astros for Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine, Brian Williams and Sean Fesh. In 1999 the Astros traded Mike Hampton and Bell to the Mets. The Astros let teams know that they couldn't have Hampton unless they took bell also. He played one season with the Mets and was granted free agency. He signed with the Pirates and played one season hitting .173. The following year in spring training he said he would not compete for a spot and if the Pirates insisted he would go into "Operation Shutdown". The Pirates insisted and Bell never made it past Spring Training and no one els signed him up to play. I guess if you burn enough bridges you make yourself into an island. I don't recall at all where I got this card.