Mariners Re-Sign Josh Bard
The Mariners have re-signed catcher Josh Bard, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. MLB.com's Greg Johns says it's a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, and that Bard will compete with Adam Moore for the backup catcher job (Twitter links).
The 32-year-old hit .214/.276/.357 in 126 plate appearances with Seattle in 2010, though he did throw out six of 18 would-be base stealers. He also missed some time with a calf strain. Bard is a .256/.323/.387 career hitter, but the last three years haven't been pretty: .218/.285/.332 in 625 plate appearances split between the M's, Nationals, and Padres.
Epstein On Injuries, Bullpen, Wood
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on WEEI's Dale & Holley radio show on Thursday morning to recap and discuss Boston's 2010 season. WEEI.com's Jerry Spar and ESPNBoston.com both have partial transcripts of the interview, and here are some of the hot stove highlights…
- In part due to the multitude of injuries that befell the club, Epstein admitted that the team's pitching and defense (the offseason focus on which led to the signings of John Lackey and Mike Cameron) were actually Boston's biggest weaknesses in 2010.
- The Red Sox will "have to completely fix the bullpen" in the winter. Epstein said that he pursued several midseason trades for relievers: "We were aggressive with our prospect proposals, and those guys weren’t moved. So, yeah, I would have loved to have made a trade for a reliever. I feel bad, I feel like we didn’t get it done."
- In regards to three specific bullpen targets (Matt Capps, Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood), Epstein said that Washington wanted Daniel Bard for Capps, the Twins were able to make a move for Fuentes first due to a higher waiver position, and the Yankees "were willing to take on just a little bit more of [Wood's] salary."
- Epstein admitted that the team can improve the flow of communication between the medical staff and the players. He didn't comment on whether or not the Red Sox were looking to make some changes to their training staff in the wake of their injury-filled season.
Eliezer Alfonzo Clears Waivers
WEDNESDAY: Alfonzo cleared waivers and accepted his Triple A assignment, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
TUESDAY: The Mariners will designate Eliezer Alfonzo for assignment to create roster space for Josh Bard, according to Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter). Alfonzo, 31, did not hit well in 41 plate appearances this year, striking out ten times and collecting two extra base hits without drawing a walk. To his credit, he threw out two of the four runners who attempted to steal on him.
Bard was hitting well in limited major league playing time before a calf injury sent him to the disabled list at the end of May. The 32-year-old has a .718 OPS in his nine-year MLB career. Rob Johnson, who is hitting just .198, has been doing most of the catching for the Mariners, who hoped for more production from Adam Moore going into the season. However, the young backstop has been sidelined with heel and hamstring injuries.
Mariners Sign Josh Bard, Chad Cordero
The Mariners signed catcher Josh Bard and reliever Chad Cordero to minor league deals, according to a team press release.
Bard, 32 in March, hit .230/.293/.361 in 301 plate appearances for the Nationals this year, catching 630.6 innings. He battled a groin strain at times. Bard has flashed the ability to draw a walk in years past. Since Kenji Johjima left for Japan, the Mariners have an opportunity for a veteran catcher. Bard had also drawn interest from the Rockies.
Cordero, 28 in March, is attempting to recover from July '08 labrum surgery. He tossed 14.3 innings in the minors for the Ms this year after signing in March.
Nationals Content With Catching Depth
It was revealed Tuesday night that Nationals catcher Jesus Flores will miss at least three months, and possibly the entire season, with a stress fracture in his right shoulder. It's terrible news for a Nationals team that has dealt with far too many negatives this season, but, as Zach Berman of the Washington Post writes, don't expect acting GM Mike Rizzo to bring in a catcher from outside the organization.
"Rizzo pledged confidence in the current tandem of Wil Nieves and Josh Bard," writes Berman. "Plus, Flores remains the Nationals' long-term catcher, and it would not be worth sacrificing a prospect for a stopgap during a season that has already gone awry."
Nationals Overhaul Bullpen
According to Chico Harlan, the Nationals have made some major changes to their 25-man roster. Here's a quick synopsis of the moves:
- Josh Bard: Optioned to AAA-Syracuse
- Saul Rivera: Optioned to AAA-Syracuse
- Wil Ledezma: Designated for assignment
- Steven Shell: Designated for assignment
The quartet was replaced by pitchers Jordan Zimmermann, Garrett Mock, Jason Bergmann, and veteran Kip Wells.
Following today's loss to the Marlins, which completed the second three-game sweep of the Nationals this season for the Fish already in 2009, Manny Acta was not shy about the bullpen:
Nationals Sign Josh Bard
10:04pm: Jack Etkin at Inside The Rockies has some details on the Bard signing. He writes that the Red Sox "decided to keep George Kottaras, 25, who was out of options" as a back up for Jason Varitek. Etkin continues:
"By releasing Bard on Wednesday, the deadline for paying a player 30 days termination pay, the Red Sox owed him about $279,000. Had they waited one more day to release him, they would have owed Bard 45 days termination pay or about $418,000."
7:42pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post writes that Bard will join what Nationals GM Mike Rizzo calls "a competitive situation." Bard will battle Wil Nieves and Javier Valentin for the backup catcher spot.
2:26pm: According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the Nationals signed catcher Josh Bard to a minor league deal. Bard had been signed but then released by the Red Sox.
Bard, 31 in March, had a couple of pretty solid seasons for the Padres in 2006 and 2007. He dealt with ankle and elbow injuries last year. It's a nice signing for the Nationals.
Giants Seek Catcher, Reliever
According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News:
Scouts are buzzing that the Giants are actively looking to upgrade at backup catcher and long relief. One possibility is catcher Rob Bowen, whom the A's released Tuesday.
Baggarly suggests the Giants' trade chips include pitchers Luis Perdomo and Merkin Valdez, as well as outfielder Eugenio Velez.
A handful of catchers remain on the free agent market, including new member Josh Bard. Tracy Ringolsby wonders if the Rockies will renew their interest in Bard. The Marlins, however, don't appear interested according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The free agent market also features about a dozen relievers.
Red Sox Release Josh Bard
According to the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman, the Red Sox have parted ways with catcher Josh Bard.
It appears that 25-year-old George Kottaras has won the backup catching job. It probably had something to do with his ability, and Bard's inability, to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Kottaras is also out of minor league options and the Red Sox didn't want to risk losing him.
Bard, 30, was 6-for-14 this spring with one home run, five RBI and two doubles. He finished with a line of .202/.279/.270 in 178 at-bats last season.
Red Sox Catching: Bard, Montero, Kottaras
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe has a wrap-up of the Red Sox’ catching situation heading into the beginning of the 2009 season.
Even after signing Jason Varitek, the Red Sox were rumored to have been continuing their pursuit of a trade for a young catcher. In today’s article, Massarotti writes that at the beginning of Diamondbacks camp, Miguel Montero was informed that "no deals were imminent." Instead, it appears the Red Sox will stick with Josh Bard for now.
However, Massarotti also mentions another interesting in-house option for the Red Sox in George Kottaras. Massarotti summarizes Kottaras’ situation:
Kottaras is out of options and could be a threat to beat out Bard, though the more likely scenario is that the Red Sox are trying to increase Kottaras’ trade value so that they do not simply lose him on waivers.
It’s probably going to be ‘Tek and Bard on Opening Day. We’ll see if the Red Sox end up acquiring, or even trading away, any young catchers in the meantime.