DALLAS -- Heath Bell didn’t bother with the “VIP Tour” that the Marlins gave to Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson — the other high-profile free agents the team has wined and dined in an effort to lure them to South Florida.

No lunch at Joe’s Stone Crab. No inside tour of the new ballpark with the owner himself, Jeffrey Loria, as his personal escort. None of that, at least not before he decided to become a Marlin.

“I’m kind of an old-school kind of guy,” Bell explained Monday after he was formally introduced as the Marlins’ new closer. “I don’t need to be wined and dined. The media buzz and all that? Other guys can do that. I just want the ball. Give me the ball and let’s go play.”

Bell will be doing that for the Marlins in due time.

The Marlins signed the 34-year-old reliever — one of the best ninth-inning stoppers in the majors during the previous three seasons when he was with the San Diego Padres — to a three-year, $27 million deal. Bell flew into the winter meetings Monday to sign his name on the dotted line.

The right-hander has averaged 44 saves for the Padres during the past three seasons, and the Marlins will be counting on him to preserve leads the same way.

“It’s not often you can get the guy,” said Larry Beinfest, the Marlins’ president of baseball operations, in explaining the decision to go after Bell.

Bell’s strikeout ratio dipped sharply last season, from an average of 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2010 to 7.3 last season. Beinfest said he is not concerned and Bell said he has an explanation.

He said he injured his left calf in spring training.

“I wasn’t 100 percent for most of the year,” he said.

Bell said the injury is behind him, and he’s looking forward to pitching for the Marlins.

“For me, when I heard Miami was interested in me, I got a big smile on my face,” he said. “There’s a lot of buzz in Miami. They’ve got a brand new stadium. It’s a beautiful stadium, like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I was blown away by it.”

• Beinfest said arthroscopic surgery on outfielder Logan Morrison’s left knee Monday went well. Morrison is expected to be ready for spring training. “There was nothing found that would make you say ‘we’ve got an issue here,’” Beinfest said.