The KBO League’s Hanwha Eagles have placed left-hander Chad Bell on release waivers, according to Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency. Bell has spent the last two seasons pitching in South Korea, re-signing with the Eagles last November for a one-year, $900K contract.
Bell earned that new deal after a strong 2019 season that saw him post a 3.50 ERA, 2.13 K/BB rate, and 6.8 K/9 over 177 1/3 innings (29 starts). Bell had never pitched more than 142 1/3 innings in any of his previous nine pro seasons, and it’s possible that the additional workload last year could have led to his injury-plagued 2020 campaign. Forearm, shoulder, and elbow problems limited Bell’s effectiveness and eventually brought a premature end to his season after 77 innings and a 5.96 ERA.
Originally a 14th-round pick for the Rangers back in the 2009 draft, Bell spent eight seasons in the Texas, Atlanta, and Detroit farm systems before heading for the KBO following the 2018 season. The southpaw’s Major League resume consists of 69 2/3 innings with the Tigers in 2017-18, with Bell posting a 7.11 ERA, 1.94 K/BB, and 8.3 K/9.