Derek Bell has decided to enter the running for Turkey of the Year. Considering the fact that the labor agreement needs to be re-negotiated this year and the recent contraction plans, he'll have a difficult time defeating Commissioner Selig, but he's off to a fairly good start.

Bell entered the Turkey of the Year running shortly after learning for the first time that he was also competing for a job as Pittsburgh's starting right fielder. Based on reports from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bell thought the right field job was his regardless of his performance this spring until a recent conversation with the press. He's quoted in the Post-Gazette as saying, "If it is [a competition], then I'm going into 'Operation Shutdown.' Tell them exactly what I said. I haven't competed for a job since 1991."

He additionally claimed that he has never been able to hit in Spring Training, and that he has no intention of hurting himself trying to compete. When, as instructed by Bell, reporters consulted GM Dave Littlefield, he unequivocally confirmed that Bell was competing for playing time.

Bell has never struck me as the brightest person in the world. Rather than viewing his habit of wearing his uniform two or three sizes too large as some kind of cute eccentricity, I've always felt that it not only causes him to look fairly ridiculous, but also shows a lack of respect for the game and his teammates. Therefore, while I've tried to be surprised that anyone could make statements as ill-advised as these, I really haven't been able to succeed.

What Bell, wrapped up in his own self-involvement, seems to missing is that he not only missed the majority of last season due to injuries, he played horribly when he was "healthy". In fact, I remember that at one point last year the Commissioner's office questioned his need to remain on the DL, since they thought he had recovered from his injury and the Pirates were merely keeping him on the DL to avoid burning up the roster spot with him on the bench.

A sub .500 OPS in over 150 at-bats would leave many established stars looking over their shoulders in Spring Training the next season, and Bell hardly has a distinguished list of accomplishments upon which to fall back. On the contrary, he's been in the top-10 in strikeouts four times in the last 10 years. Despite poor plate discipline through out his career, he did manage to have productive seasons in 1994, 1995, and a career year in 1998. However, he seems to have peaked early and then gone into a sharp decline.

I'm not in favor of quality players risking their health because of a slow start in Spring Training, however to everyone not wrapped up in Bell's personal blindness to his own problems, it's quite obvious that without substantial improvement, considering him for a full time position, even for a bench job, is ludicrous. He just doesn't seem to notice that his inability to hit during Spring Training frequently extends into the vast majority of the regular season.

The Pirates would be happy to have Bell leave the team but finding a club deluded enough to accept his contract, without a reasonable expectation that he will be able to perform, is probably impossible and they haven't yet been able to deal with the thought of releasing him and admitting they're getting nothing in return for his multi-million dollar salary.

"Operation Shutdown" doesn't figure to be able to hurt Pittsburgh, as they shouldn't see much of a decline from the (lack of) performance they're currently receiving from Bell. In fact, they might benefit by inserting someone into the lineup who isn't practically guaranteed to hinder their production. I'm not sure what the Pirates will do when they can once again spend the approximately $15M plus currently being wasted on the minimal production of Bell, Pat Meares, and Kevin Young on a player(s) who might actually contribute to the team's chances of winning.

A week ago today the Expos discovered that Orlando Cabrera's back problems were due to a herniated/bulging disc. The MRI didn't indicate a need for surgery, so he took a cortisone shot on Thursday and will rest a week before resuming play.

While Cabrera could be fine for the rest of the season following his rest period, back problems are always a concern. Right now I don't expect him to start the season on the DL, though he won't likely have a lot more Spring Training playing time to finish fine-tuning. However, I am troubled that this could be something that hampers him periodically throughout the season; whether it's for one or two days here and there or for weeks at a time is harder to tell.

Provided he's only out for short stints at a time, Montreal will likely try to cover with Mike Mordecai and Tomas de la Rosa depending on who makes the team. There is also a possibility that Omar Minaya will attempt to bolster the bench with waiver talent or another small trade.

If Cabrera spends significant time on the DL, Montreal will likely call Brandon Phillips up from the minors. Despite his solid Arizona Fall League and Spring Training performances, Phillips hasn't even had a full year of AA yet and should really have at least a year of AAA before attempting to stick as a full-time major leaguer. Consequently the Expos should root very hard for Cabrera to stay healthy, not only because they need him this season but because if he doesn't, they could damage one of their best prospects.

Jose Vidro, who has missed the majority of the Spring Training exhibition games with a strained shoulder muscle, has returned to the lineup and should be fine by Opening Day.