"Heath Bell has a bet going with his wife and kids.

They've each picked colors, leagues, regions of the country and various other characteristics of the team Bell might be pitching for after the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline, and the winner gets to pick the team's offseason family vacation.

Suffice it to say, the entire family is on edge as the final days before the deadline approach.

"It's a lot of rumors," Bell said of the rampant speculation flying around the San Diego locker room. "I think our wives are probably overwhelmed with things."

None of those travel plans include a trip to visit the Liberty Bell, but the Phillies remain front and center when it comes to the trade buzz surrounding the Padres' all-star closer.

Charlie Manuel has made it known he'd love to have another bullpen arm, and with the team's closer situation in question beyond 2011, Bell seems like an ideal fit.

There are questions, of course.

Bell is a three-time all-star and has saved more than 40 games in each of the past two seasons. So would he be open to the idea of coming to Philadelphia as a set-up man for the rest of 2011?

"I want to close next year," Bell said. "This year, I'll do whatever it takes to win."

Bell has also had the luxury of performing under ideal circumstances in San Diego, when Petco Park has routinely played as one of the most favorable pitching environments in the league.

Citizens Bank Park, on the other hand, has a much different reputation.

"It's a small ballpark," Bell said. "But if you keep the ball down, good pitching beats good hitting, and the Phillies have proven it."

There's also those tough Phillies fans, who provide a pretty different ballpark environment than what Bell has endured in San Diego.

"The atmosphere, the electricity here is great," he said. "The Phillies fans never really said I suck. They just say I'm fat."

So it's a done deal, right?

Well, not exactly.

Bell stands to earn another $3 million this season, which could make him pricey for the Phillies unless San Diego is willing to pick up some of that money."