Red Sox, Josh Bard close to agreement

by Randy Booth on Dec 28, 2008 9:37 PM EST in News Comment 22 comments

Look who's back! ... according to the Globe:

In a separate deal, the Sox are also nearing an agreement with free-agent catcher Josh Bard, according to baseball sources. The one-year deal, which is not guaranteed, would be worth $1.6 million and would include a team option, according to sources.

...

This would be Bard's second stint with the Red Sox. The first one was brief. The Sox acquired Bard from the Indians as part of the trade for Coco Crisp in January 2006. He served as a backup to Jason Varitek and struggled catching Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. About a month into his tenure in Boston, Bard was traded to the Padres for Doug Mirabelli, who was experienced catching Wakefield's knuckler.

I don't really expect for Bard to do anything spectacular as a Sox, but he's a good backup option. I don't think he'd do any better than in-house options like George Kottaras or Dusty Brown, though.

Poll

Is this a good move for the Red Sox?

Yes

67 votes

No

29 votes

Ehhhhh

97 votes

193 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 22 comments

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Comments

Put me down for a NO vote...

~ ROLL TIDE ~

GO SOX!!

by Bama Sox on Dec 28, 2008 9:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

IMO

Kottaras or Brown is better. Really.

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers out of your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Dec 28, 2008 9:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't wanna be that guy

But Bard OBPed .364 just 2 years ago, played in a pitchers park and had a very low BABIP this last season. Brown is a 26 year old who never played a single ML game and Kottaras is just a year younger with not much more experience. Bard may or may not stay with the team after ST, he’s just another option.

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Dec 28, 2008 9:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

So, yeah, this is a good move

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Dec 28, 2008 9:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

He’s a better hitter than Tek right now, so as a short term option, he’s not horrible. And it’s not a guaranteed contract anyway, so what’s the risk?

by RSNexile on Dec 28, 2008 10:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hopefully

this ends the terrible VTEK offense for now.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on Dec 29, 2008 1:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ugh.

At least in that, his defense is widely-regarded as “not good” at best. I’d much rather punt offense in favor of defense at the position. Consider me in that radical “Kevin Cash is better than any other FA option the Sox might have HAD” group. I might be the only member.

"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"

by Allen Chace on Dec 29, 2008 1:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thank god it's a one year deal

Theo loves walkin around with egg on his face.

by Red Sox #1 Fan on Dec 29, 2008 2:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Solid move, he’s an upgrade from Cash at worst.

by matzushocka45 on Dec 29, 2008 3:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

I think people have issues with him because he sucked as Wake’s Best Friend.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Dec 29, 2008 9:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ive always hated having 2 roster spots for one guy.

by matzushocka45 on Dec 29, 2008 9:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Is Josh Bard two people? Hmmm…

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Dec 29, 2008 11:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If so, that might explain why he thrived in San Diego after sucking in Boston…

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Dec 30, 2008 12:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We needed a backup catcher for Tek when we resign him.

That’s what this seems to be in preparation for.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Dec 30, 2008 6:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He's a great guy for a platoon

and I really liked him in his short tenure with us.

"no1 has time to read your long comments, are you writing a book?"

by britsoxfan on Dec 30, 2008 4:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Crap defense

Or so I’ve heard. Was he non-tendered by San Diego?

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Dec 30, 2008 9:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

[coughs up drink]

According to http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Josh_Bard/:

Scouting Report
Assets
His best attributes are behind the plate, where he handles pitchers well, has a good arm and blocks the plate effectively. Is a disciplined switch-hitter.
Flaws
His bat isn’t consistent enough to put up big numbers and he only has average power from either side of home plate.
Career potential
A solid starting catcher.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Dec 31, 2008 12:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I read that his D deteriorated significantly last year.

Enough that it was a real concern for the Pads.

But I can’t find where I read it.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 1, 2009 2:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I trust Canadians more than a sourceless quote.

They have bacon.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jan 1, 2009 2:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Still trying to find the source.

I read it on my friend’s computer, so I can’t look it up in my history.

But in the meantime, here’s an off-handed perspective of a Pad’s fan who apparently thinks Bard can’t hold on a runner. Probably because he’s had multiple injuries to his right triceps.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 2, 2009 3:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's Rotoworld

The Padres decided against waiting until December to non-tender Bard, who had his OPS drop from 943 in his first 93 games with the Padres in 2006 to 768 last year and 549 this season. He’ll probably bounce back offensively, but he’s a weak enough thrower that he may have a difficult time landing another starting job. Estes was going to be a free agent anyway. This just gets him off the 40-man roster a little earlier.

Here. Still not the article I was looking for, which stated that the Pad’s FO was concerned about the general decline in his defense. But still, hardly inspiring words.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 2, 2009 3:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs