The Pittsburgh Pirates will give the Daniel Bard experiment a whirl.
Bard, a former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013, as injuries and the yips have sent his career into a tailspin. The right-hander is just 30 years old, though, and the Pirates apparently are hopeful he can recapture some of what made him one of baseball’s most intriguing up-and-coming relievers from 2009 to 2011.
Bard’s downfall dates to the second half of 2011, when he posted a 5.28 ERA in 28 appearances after the Major League Baseball All-Star break amid Boston’s epic collapse. The Red Sox tried to convert Bard back into a starter the following season and it only compounded the pitcher’s issues.
The Chicago Cubs claimed Bard off waivers from the Red Sox in September 2013. He never made it to the bigs with Chicago or with the Texas Rangers, who signed Bard as a free agent before the 2014 season, though he seemed to make strides in the Cubs organization after rejoining the club last offseason.
Bard posted a 2.88 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 192 appearances with the Red Sox from 2009 to 2011, causing some to wonder whether he’d become Boston’s closer once Jonathan Papelbon departed. Things obviously didn’t work out as planned and it’s since been a strange journey for Bard, who underwent Thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in January 2014.
Perhaps this will be the year Bard bounces back. The Pirates sure hope so.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
