Josh Bell

Bell became a part of the mix at third base after being claimed off waivers from the Orioles in April. The hitter-friendly environment at Triple-A Reno fueled a .311/.372/.509 line over 85 games around a look with the big club. The success in the Pacific Coast League did not carry over with the D-Backs, as he struggled to make contact and quickly fell into a reserve role before getting optioned back to Reno for good in late June. After being designated for assignment by Arizona, Bell signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the White Sox in January.

Bell's career simply cannot get off the ground. In 26 games with the Orioles, the 25-year-old posted a mere .379 OPS, striking out in 38.5 percent of his at-bats. His Triple-A numbers aren't awful, but a .758 OPS in Triple-A (as Bell posted in 2011) isn't winning anybody a job at his age. With Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis in position to open the season as the starting corner infielders, Bell will likely get another shot at the highest minor league level in 2012, but time is running out.

Bell showed slight improvement in the minors against left-handed pitching, a matchup that has been a big concern as he has developed. Still, the Orioles lost faith in him during the season after he didn't overwhelm at Triple-A, and he hit just above the Mendoza Line in more than 150 at-bats with the big club while striking out in a third of them. The Mark Reynolds trade certainly does not do Bell any favors and it looks like a full season at Triple-A could be on tap while he attempts to improve his plate discipline.

The Orioles plucked a good, young third baseman from the Dodgers in the George Sherrill deal. After the trade Bell torched the Eastern League for nine home runs in 33 games, but the switch-hitter has a lot of work to do against left-handed pitching. Bell is the third baseman of the future and he should arrive in the second half.