Twins Video
Daniel Bard’s journey back to the big leagues is an incredible one. Once a first-round pick and heralded as a top relief prospect, Bard ceased throwing strikes in 2012, and his career looked to be over by the time he was 28. Seven years later, Bard, now 37, returned to the majors two years after he announced his retirement.
Bard was solid for the Rockies in the Covid season, posting a 3.65 ERA while striking out 27 in 24 2/3 innings. Bard struggled to follow up his strong year in 2021, as walk issues re-surfaced and his ERA ballooned to 5.21. This season, he’s posting the best numbers of his career outside of his breakout campaign in 2010.
Bard has a sterling 2.02 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. He’s striking out nearly 30% of the batters he faces and ranks fourth among qualified relievers in opponent’s average (.143). He ranks in the 99th percentile in both expected batting average and slugging percentage. He’s an elite barrel avoider and has converted 20 of 22 saves for Colorado.
Like most standout relievers, Bard works with an upper-90s fastball. It’s a turbo sinker that averages 98 mph, and he pairs it with an elite high-spin slider. Right-handed batters are hitting .113/.250/.208 (.458 OPS) against Bard, with one homer in 64 plate appearances. Lefties haven’t fared much better, hitting .167/.268/.278 in 82 plate appearances.
When Bard’s not striking guys out, they’re usually grounding out. He has a top-15 groundball rate among qualified relievers (56.6%). If added to the Twins’ bullpen, they’d boast two relievers with some of the best power repertoires in baseball.
Bard’s stuff is electric, but his walk issues of the past aren’t entirely gone. Bard is still walking 12% of batters, and his spotty command is one reason his FIP is 1.51 runs higher than his ERA. The other is that he has the sixth lowest BABIP of any qualified reliever (.185). He gets incredible movement on his mostly two-pitch toolbox, but he doesn’t always get the ball over the plate.
Bard is a rental reliever, meaning he’ll be a free agent following this season. The Twins are much more likely to pursue a rental than a controllable reliever, given their tendency to invest less in the bullpen and more in other areas. The cost shouldn’t be exorbitant.
There’s more than one intriguing reliever available on the market, but when you combine Bard’s stuff with his results in 2022, it’s easy to get excited about his potential fit. He can either set up for Duran or close himself and would probably do both as a Twin.
Let’s set up a mock bullpen scenario with Bard in the picture. Joe Ryan goes six strong, allowing three runs, and leaves with a 4-3 lead. The Twins turn to Griffin Jax or Caleb Thielbar in the seventh (depending on matchups), Bard in the eighth, and Duran in the ninth. That sounds a lot better than the current situation.
What do you think about Rockies' closer Daniel Bard? Comment below!
MORE FROM TWINS DAILY
— Latest Twins coverage from our writers
— Recent Twins discussion in our forums
— Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email
— Become a Twins Daily Caretaker
- PatPfund, Doctor Gast and DocBauer
-
3
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.