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.