Free agent catcher Josh Bard is on the cusp of returning to the Red Sox, sources told the Boston Globe. As we all know, Bard was dealt to the San Diego Padres along with Cla Meredith for Doug Mirabelli a few years ago in a desperation move, months after being acquired along with Coco Crisp.
The deal is worth $1.6 million along with a team option and is not guaranteed.
Bard hit .285/.364/.404 in 2007, getting the bulk of the playing time. After being acquired in 2006, Bard hit .338/.406/.537. Last year he tanked due to injury and hit just .202/..279/.270.
I very much doubt Theo is done working on the catcher’s position, especially with the deal being non-guaranteed. Still, it’s a step in the right direction. Bard has a career .265/.333/.395 line and is being viewed as a backup, according to Sean McAdam.
Can read so much into this. At $1.6M he is not going to Pawtucket. Therefore, Bard is the fallback in case Tek walks. Or, Bard is Tek’s backup. Or Bard will platoon with Salty, TG, Montero, Shoppach, Kottaras or Brown. Bottom line is, we have a competent catcher, coming off injury, behind the plate, no matter how the Tek negotiations turn out.
This blog discussed the return of Bard months ago. On target.
I don’t see much of a point to signing a guy who already was rushed out of town. He’s not much use as a back-up if he can’t handle Wake at all and he certainly should not be our starter. This catcher problem remains a huge hole. Penny was a nice surprise though. I wouldn’t mind if they signed Sheets/Smoltz as well (I like depth). But I imagine it’d be hard to convince anybody to sign now that we can’t garuntee a rotation spot. Still, it is a solid low risk move.
Evan nearly had me convinced last night that Kottaras was going to be around to handle at least Wakefield. Now what?
I love the Penny signing. I’m also a huge fan of the incentives built in to contracts. Shouldn’t the pay be more based on performance anyways? Penny is a talent and I like our chances at helping him get right, especially with familiar people around him to help.
Really solid signing. Marcel has him at .325 wOBA, not too far off Saltalamacchia (his is .332). Interestingly, James also has Bard at .325.
Bard was one of the most unlucky players in baseball last year. His projected BABIP was well over .300 but his actually BABIP was .230. His Ks and BBs were both in line with his career averages.
It is distressing to see that he was swinging at more pitches outside the zone but it is possible that this had something to do with over-compensating for an injury. More likely, it was just a bi-product of a small sample size.
Josh Bard could be our starter. I would much prefer Bard and Varitek split time, but i don’t run the team.
What Dave B said.
I wondered if this would happen earlier. I love this signing, he could only be helped by getting out of petco, he’s still fairly young. He got an unfair shake last time around, he’ll be better now
I love both of these moves. Bard could start and be fine, at the worst he could be a great bridge until Mauer becomes available.
I take it you’re all thinking that Varitek isn’t going to come back. Or you’re thinking that Tek is coming back and that either he or Josh Bard is going to catch Wakefield. I’m sure I’m missing something, or I’ve over looked some detail about who catches Wake. Do we carry 3 catchers all year? anyone…
or maybe those that believe he could start and be fine also think that we’d have Bard and Kottaras? is that the thinking here?
Is this really going to be the beginning of a rebuilding phase? Unless we go out and pick up another catcher that we’re more serious about, I don’t know that I can consider Josh Bard to be a true upgrade. But hey, I’d welcome him to prove me wrong.
furthermore, its not that I have an axe to grind, I was disappointed in Wakefield’s option being picked up. I understand what his contribution has been, really. It is with no uncertainty that I feel at odds with the team’s chances to win the game, especially in big playoff games. That ol’ knuckler just don’t dance the way it needs to in October. He’s been great for us, I’m just sayin…
$4M and you’re wondering why his option was picked up? League average pitchers cost about $9-12M now per year and usually get a lot longer than a one year deal. Wakefield is one of the biggest values in baseball year in and year out. He gave us 182 innings, a 4.13 ERA and a WHIP of 1.18. This is definitely a pitcher I want to have somewhere on my staff, particularly at that money. While he may not be a playoff starter anymore or even a #4 pitcher, it would be preposterous for me to argue that you shouldn’t pick up his option. NO team in baseball would let him go with that contract, even the Yankees.
I hope Dave B is right, and all the pretty predictions about Bard comes true. But I’m dissapointed. Clearly, this will be another season of doing close to nothing. The FO is cheap, lacks of imagination, and don’t want to take any risks. Well, if you don’t take any risks you will never have great rewards.
I regret to have been following the hot-stove so closely. What a waste of time. I should have know, this team will not be doing anything worth mentioning. Just another boring, irrelevant offseason.
AJ Burnett in 2008: 221 IP (career high) 105 ERA+
Wake in 2008: 181 IP 112 ERA +
I know there’s other factors like age involved, but Burnett only tops 200 IP in years when there’s money at stake, Wake is a much better bet to do it next season and even for all his stuff he’s been decidedly mediocre of late. We pay Wake $4 million and the Yankees pay Burnett 4 times that amount. Burnett is their number 2 or 3 (depends how much you like Wang) and Wakefield is our number 4 or 5 (depends how Penny pitches). Wakefield has a great contract and is still a great asset for this team.
“and even for all his stuff he’s been decidedly mediocre of late.”
That was with regards to Burnett
MAG, I think the Penny, Bard, RRammi and Tazawa signings all take risks, and if the risks work out, the team will be strengthened substantially.
Penny is as risky and as potentially brilliant as Burnett or Sheets, but even if he excels, he won’t be blocking Buchholz or Bowden or breaking the bank. And he allows Masterson to stay in the Pen. Did we hope for Sheets or Smoltz? Still could happen, but this move could be as beneficial. The rotation is set, and could get better.
RRammi looks really, really good, and with Masterson, the Bullpen has an entirely new dynamic, with these two setting up Papelbon, and Oki, MDC, Lopez, Hansack? setting up Monsterson & RRammi. In this new paradigm, the 6th, 7th & 8th innings are suddenly very, very strong. Did I want Fuentes or Street? You bet. Still could happen, but no longer necessary. The Pen is set, and could get even better if Aardsma, Gronk, Littleton, Jones, Young Bard work out.
Josh Bard may or may not be the Sox starting catcher, and he could platoon. Tek-Boras is still in negotiation. Talks are ongoing with AZ, TX, CLE, SEA. Let’s wait and see how it shakes out.
The excitement comes with deciding among Baldelli, Kapler, Byrnes for 4thOF, Bailey, Kotsay, Millar for 1b/5thOF, and Hairston, Bloomquist, Thurston for IF/6thOF; and do we swap Lugo + ?? for Byrnes and Montero?? It’s heating up, amigo.