Daniel Bard

39-Year-Old PitcherRP

Free Agent

Out

Injury Elbow

Est. Return 6/1/2025

2024 Stats

W-L

0-0

ERA

0.00

WHIP

0.00

Rest-of-Season Projections

W-L

ERA

WHIP

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Bard was set to open 2023 as the Rockies' closer after racking up 54 saves between 2021-2022 and signing a two-year extension with the club. Unfortunately, the veteran struggled with anxiety last spring, which led to poor command during Cactus League play and the World Baseball Classic. The 37-year-old, who notably battled the "yips" in his late-20's and early-30's that kept him out of the majors for six seasons, opened the campaign on the injured list. Upon his return in late-April, Bard's command was still spotty, but he permitted just one earned run over his first 16.1 innings despite walking 13 during that span. The right-hander's control issues eventually caught up with him, finishing the year with a 47:49 K:BB ratio over 49.1 innings for a negative 0.9 K-BB percentage. Bard's 1.70 WHIP was 2nd-worst among qualified relievers, so he'll have an uphill battle to climb to be trusted in high-leverage again. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Rest of Season

From Preseason

#369

ADP

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man No

Height 6'4"

Weight 197

DOB 6/25/1985

Born Houston, TX

College North Carolina

Drafted 1st Rd 2006 BOS

Plotting return in 2025

PColorado Rockies

Elbow

May 27, 2024

Bard (elbow) has rejoined the team and will continue to conduct his rehab program in Denver when the Rockies have homestands, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

ANALYSIS
Bard is out for the remainder of the 2024 season while he recovers from right flexor tendon surgery, but the 38-year-old wants to make a comeback in 2025. After some self-reflection, Bard came to the conclusion that he wants to see if he's "got it next spring." The former closer for Colorado will be a free agent after this season, and it's currently unclear when exactly he'll be able to return to the mound in a full capacity.

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Pitching Stats

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2020

2024 MLB Game Log

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2023 MLB Game Log

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2022 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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Left/Right Pitching Splits

Since 2022

-1%

BAA vs LHP

2024

No Stats

2023

-7%

BAA vs LHP

2022

-16%

BAA vs RHP

	BAA	Batters	K	BB	H	2B	3B	HR
Since 2022vs Left	.181	225	56	44	32	10	1	4
Since 2022vs Right	.182	252	60	30	38	8	1	4
2024vs Left	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024vs Right	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023vs Left	.196	88	17	28	11	4	1	2
2023vs Right	.211	144	30	21	24	5	1	3
2022vs Left	.174	137	39	16	21	6	0	2
2022vs Right	.147	108	30	9	14	3	0	1
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Home/Away Pitching Splits

Since 2022

-51%

ERA on Road

2024

No Stats

2023

-65%

ERA on Road

2022

-19%

ERA on Road

	ERA	WHIP	IP	W	L	SV	K/9	BB/9	HR/9
Since 2022Home	4.07	1.46	55.1	5	2	17	9.6	6.8	0.7
Since 2022Away	1.99	1.16	54.1	5	4	18	9.4	5.3	0.7
2024Home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024Away	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023Home	6.94	2.01	23.1	1	0	0	9.3	10.4	0.8
2023Away	2.42	1.42	26.0	3	2	1	8.0	7.6	1.0
2022Home	1.97	1.06	32.0	4	2	17	9.8	4.2	0.6
2022Away	1.59	0.92	28.1	2	2	17	10.8	3.2	0.3
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Defensive Stats

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Stats Vs Today's Lineup

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2022

2021

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

Bard didn't lose any velocity during his age-37 season. In fact, he averaged a career best 98 mph on his sinker, which he implemented last year as his primary pitch to replace his historically less effective fastball. This translated to a career best 1.79 ERA, 51.7% groundball rate and 34 saves, which were sixth-most in the league. Bard threw the sinker often against left-handed batters, who hit just .174 against him last season compared to .319 in 2021. Some ratio regression is likely in store for 2023, as Bard's .221 BABIP was extremely low. His 2.86 FIP and 3.17 SIERA suggest a likelier ERA outcome. Still, Bard's career year earned him a 2-year extension from the Rockies. After finishing with the second highest team save share in the league last season at 79.1%, he's likely to earn the majority of saves in Colorado again as long as he's performing.

After performing well as Colorado's closer in his return to the majors in 2020, Bard opened last year in the role after avoiding arbitration with the Rockies. He logged 20 saves in 28 chances, but struggled all season long, failing to post an ERA under 3.97 or WHIP better than 1.35 during any month. He finished with a poor 5.21 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over 65.2 innings and ceded the closer role to Carlos Estevez in late-August. Bard was given many opportunities to work through his struggles, but he simply couldn't overcome them in his age-36 season. On the plus side, the veteran is still able to throw 97-mph and his 11.0 K/9 was his highest mark in the category since his rookie year in 2009. Bard's experience in high-leverage makes him an ideal trade candidate before he hits free agency in 2023. Pencil him in for a handful of saves, but don't expect much more than that as his best years are likely behind him.

Bard returned to the majors in 2020 for the first time since 2013, and he impressed with the Rockies. He led the team in saves as he was perfect on his six chances. Although the closer for the 2021 campaign is still up in the air, Bard would appear to be the favorite heading into the season after posting a 3.65 ERA and 27:10 K:BB over 24.2 innings in 2020. The right-hander's average fastball velocity increased greatly to 97.1 mph in his first season back in the big leagues, and he had a slightly above-average 25.5 K% and 12.4% swinging-strike rate. Those numbers aren't quite what you'd expect out of most closers, and pitchers who handle the ninth inning for the Rockies tend to have a short shelf life. Bard will be 36 in June, and it remains to be seen whether he can sustain his production over a larger sample. However, he holds some fantasy value as the most likely closer for Colorado heading into 2021.

Bard spent less than a week with the Red Sox last April, but otherwise battled injuries and ineffectiveness in the minors for the remainder of the season. He walked 27 in 15.1 innings in the minors before the Red Sox had seen enough. The Cubs scooped him up in September in the hopes of taking a chance on a reliever who put together an outstanding run a few years ago, but his control looks like it's gone. He was non-tendered by the team in December.

We never really got a clear answer for what caused Bard's train to come off its tracks. The conversion from reliever to starter is the inciting incident that led to the mess his 2012 season became, but those conversions happen all the time. Heck, the Red Sox did it in-season with Franklin Morales. What about Bard's transition, which started in the offseason with plenty of time to prepare, caused him to become the "Wild Thing?" As bad as he was in Boston, Bard was even worse following his demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket. In 32 innings with the PawSox, Bard walked 29 batters and hit another 10. There is much outside speculation that having John Farrell back in the organization will help all the pitchers who seem to have lost their way, including Bard. Getting Bard back to being the effective setup reliever he was prior to 2012 is one of the team's many offseason priorities.

Bard had several individual meltdowns during the season, including a couple of high-profile ones during Boston's dramatic September collapse, leading to a worrisome 3.33 ERA. He maintained his strikeout and hold numbers, but questions started to creep in about his ability to be a full-time closer -- he has 12 blown saves in the past two seasons, which takes on added importance after Boston lost closer Jonathan Papelbon to Philadelphia in the free-agent market. While he's known mostly for his high-90s fastball, Bard can throw enough pitches to be a starter. He entered professional baseball as a starter, before the organization moved him to the bullpen. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington acquired Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon to handle the late innings, and the plan is to deploy Bard as a starter heading into spring training.

Close observers know all about Bard by now. He throws wall-to-wall heat and misses bats as one of the league's premier setup men. His 32 holds led the American League and ranked third in MLB, behind a couple of relievers from San Diego, who pitched at an airport. Bard was a dominant pitcher in 2010, getting both righties and lefties out while limiting batters to a .159 average with runners on. As Jonathan Papelbon enters the final year of his contract, Bard has no more than a year to wait to become Boston's closer. That could happen sooner if the Red Sox decide to trade Papelbon, who has made it known for a long time he's looking to make a splash as a free agent.

Bard started the 2009 season at Triple-A Pawtucket, then emerged as Boston's leading option as a setup guy to closer Jonathan Papelbon. He struck out 63 batters in 49.1 innings, using a blistering fastball, augmented by a slider he's developed along the way. His walk rate ticked up with the move up to the bigs, but the Red Sox have the utmost confidence in him. He'll open the 2010 season as he finished last year as Boston's set up man. With Papelbon nearing free agency and making noise about getting big bucks, the Red Sox could be grooming Bard for the closer's role in 2012, when Papelbon becomes a free agent.

Bard was extremely successful in his first full season out of the bullpen, making the leap from Low-A Greenville to Double-A Portland. Bard struck out 107 batters in 77.2 innings and limited batters to a .173 batting average. The organization worked on his mechanics and had him work with sports psychologist and former pitcher Bob Tewksbury on the mental aspects to overcome a disastrous 2007 season. He'll work on his secondary pitches this season while with Portland, and could eventually return to being a starter.

More Fantasy News

Moved to 60-day IL

PColorado Rockies

Elbow

April 21, 2024

The Rockies transferred Bard (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.

ANALYSIS
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Will miss rest of season

PColorado Rockies

Knee

April 12, 2024

Bard (knee) will undergo right flexor tendon surgery and miss the rest of the 2024 season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

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Opens season on IL

PColorado Rockies

Knee

March 29, 2024

The Rockies placed Bard (knee) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

ANALYSIS
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Surgery less invasive than expected

PColorado Rockies

Knee

February 15, 2024

Bard did not need to have the meniscus repaired as initially expected during his arthroscopic left knee surgery Wednesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
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Requires meniscus surgery

PColorado Rockies

Knee

February 13, 2024

Bard (forearm) will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to begin the regular season on the injured list, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Likely trade piece

PColorado Rockies

June 23, 2023

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed Bard as a potential trade target for contending teams ahead of the August 1 deadline.

ANALYSIS
The right-hander missed the first few weeks of the season while he addressed his anxiety issues, but he rejoined the Rockies on April 19 and has a 1.52 ERA through 23 appearances. Bard worked as Colorado's closer the past couple years but has filled more of a low-leverage role this season with no saves and one hold. His ERA is strong, but the 38-year-old is a candidate for regression given his 8.0 BB/9 and 5.46 FIP, which will likely limit any potential trade returns.

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