For three years running, San Diego closer Heath Bell has been the subject of trade discussions and rumors and the trade deadline.

Yet, Bell still remains a Padre despite this season being the time when everyone was positively sure he was on the move, most notably to either Texas or St. Louis.

The deadline is nearly a week in the past but that doesn’t officially mean the flame-throwing reliever is necessarily staying the rest of the season in San Diego, but that could only come to fruition if the Padres choose to place him on waivers, a move which seems unlikely given the team’s reluctance to accept trade offers in exchange.

Here are the most notable reasons why Padre fans can expect to see Bell in a Friars uniform not just for the remainder of this season, but into the future.

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