11:39pm: The Dodgers are still talking to other catchers and the Bard deal is "not a slam dunk," says Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
10:43pm: The Dodgers have agreed to sign Josh Bard to a one-year deal worth about $750K, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times hears that it's a minor league contract (Twitter link).
Bard, 33, has a career OPS of .705 in parts of ten big league seasons, but his production has slipped in recent years. Since 2008, he has hit .217/.282/.332 in 711 plate appearances. He spent the last two seasons as the backup catcher in Seattle on one-year deals.
The Dodgers have been very active on the free agent market this offseason, as MLBTR's free agent tracker shows. The team has already signed six big league free agents, including another catcher, Matt Treanor, who inked a one-year deal with a 2013 option.
Uhhhhhhh….?
I am similarly confused. What is he going to do that Treanor, Ellis, and Federowicz can’t? I have no idea. Weird signing.
Oh boy, who’s next, Jake Taylor?
I heard they were going to acquire Barry Zito from SF to use in the pen
…And bring Manny back
Nah, he’s got bad knees.Â
I also heard they were in on Brett Favre
Ned Colletti’s scrub collecting continues. Next on the agenda: trade for Jeff Mathis and sign Yuniesky Betancourt.Â
yes, another washed up catcher. thank you ned
Switch hitter off the bench and when he makes contact he can hit a home run or two. Calls a decent game. Cheap. It’s not a terrible signing.
if it was 2005, the dodgers would be stacked
AHAHAHAHAHAHA
wtf?
At this point I just do not understand what the Dodgers are doing.Â
Playing win the standings in reverse.. A Colleti conspiracy…
I’m a Dodgers fan and this is making me laugh and cry at the same time.
OIHEROISEJRHOSIEJRGOAIER;OGIJQORGIQJ3ROIGJWOHRI
…..I’m sad.
That is all.
Dodgers are on a wal-mart spree. Buying up stuff just because it’s there, stuff that’s on sale, stuff they don’t need, stuff they don’t have the money to pay for, or buying stuff just because they saw somebody else looking at the same thing. They signed like half the infielders on the market. A bench full of utility players won’t put fans in the stands, especially while everyone knows you’re bankrupt.
why would the dodgers sign another back up catcher.i thought they wanted a reliver and a bat. is this the bat they were refering to.
The dodgers are like the friend that everyone has that consistantly brings the ugly girl home from the bar
Well, at least we get lots of ugly girls instead of no girls at all…
At first it sounds like a good idea, but theres always the morning after
Well if you let them stay until morning, that’s on you.
At least that friend doesn’t give the girl 750k.
Go ugly, go home early!
Smell a trade coming, Ellis may be part of the package.
Please no. I was finally convinced that Ellis could do something. Certainly more than the tandem of Treanor and Bard could do….
Maybe TB finally has had it up to here with paying Longoria 6M 🙂
these moves are so euro
“these moves are so euro”
Nice comparison.. They are in financial desperation up to their eyeballs also.
What a waste of resources
Nobody understands that AAA needs players too. As mentioned Its a minor league contract. He will be backup catcher in AAA.
only took 28 post but someone got it!
Why pay somebody 750k to do that, though?
Ned seems to be signing people just because they exist.
I am so tired of this clown Colletti.
As a Mariner fan I can say that this is decent pick up for the Dodgers.
He is a good guy to have around in the AAA if you need to call up an experienced Catcher.
How many Padres cast-off’s do the Doyer’s need? Garland, Harang, Harriston, & Bard? Have fun LA.
ummm garland not on the team i believeÂ
Someone take the credit card away from Ned, please.
i had no clue colletti was working for Caltrans
It’s a minor league deal, he have to try out for the team, but there’s not guarantee he’ll make it.
Perhaps a trade involving Eovaldi, Ellis and another piece or two for Gaby Sanchez is in the works…?
Ned’s effectively locked up all 5 spots in the rotation until 2014 with the Harang and Capuano deals. And with the Dodgers pitching prospect depth (De La Rosa, Eovaldi, Webster, Withrow, Lee, Gould), the logical thing to do would be to deal pitching prospects for a bat. I could see Eovaldi and/or Webster being moved.
Then again, it is Ned we’re talking about. He’d sooner trade for declining veteran than someone young and with upside like Gaby Sanchez…
Signing those pitchers and trading away the cheap pitching talent is such a bad idea
Yes it is, but it is the type of move Ned would make. This is the guy that dealt Carlos Santana for 3 months of Casey Blake, remember.
I’d rather we didn’t sign Harang to a 2 year deal and instead went with a 1 year stopgap with potential like Bedard. But a trade for Gaby Sanchez wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. He’s young, cheap, and has upside.
Worst case scenario would be Ned trading Eovaldi and Webster for some declining veteran 1B… that’s what I fear…
Think Neds gotten into the booze again or maybe he invented a time machine to go back and get the Bard of old