Ex-Red Sox Closer Linked To American League East Foe After Bullpen Struggles

Could an old friend join the division?

Scott Neville | Jun 4, 2023

Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images

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Will the best team in the American League East bolster their bullpen by adding a homegrown former Boston Red Sox talent with one of the most interesting careers in Major League Baseball?

The Tampa Bay Rays are known for their elite pitching staff year-over-year and are off to one of their best starts in franchise history with a 42-19 record. Surely, a team with their pedigree of pitching dominance and fantastic record would have an elite bullpen, right?

Surprisingly, the Rays rank No. 23 in MLB with a 4.38 bullpen ERA. One longtime Boston media pundit believes an old friend would be a logical fit.

"The Rays bullpen implosion Saturday afternoon tells us (Colorado Rockies right-hander) Daniel Bard could be an answer," MLB insider Peter Gammons tweeted. "Their starters have the fewest innings pitched per start in MLB, the pen (has) the lowest strikeout rate, saved by their defense. Bard will be 38 on June 25, but he's still (a power pitcher), and a perfect match."

Bard -- who began his career as an elite closer for the Red Sox -- started the season on the injured list with anxiety but has battled back and been nearly unhittable since.

The veteran has a 0.55 ERA with a .170 batting average against and 1.35 WHIP in 16 1/3 innings this season. His 12-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio is offputting but his overall production in the last few seasons would suggest that he will regain his elite command and strikeout rate.

Last season Bard was 34-for-37 in save situations and has been incredibly clutch for the Rockies since restarting his career a few years back. This season Bard has yet to be placed in a save situation but has the pedigree to step up in big spots if needed.

Bard is in the first year of a two-year, $19 million contract, which could put Tampa Bay out of contention for the hurler unless the Rockies agreed to take on the bulk of his salary. If they make the money work, a trade would make a lot of sense.

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Published Jun 4, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu