Inside The Pinstripes

Blue Jays Sign Another Former Yankees Reliever

Toronto signed Luke Bard to a minor league contract on Saturday.

Max Goodman

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Less than two weeks after signing Chad Green, the Blue Jays have added another former Yankees reliever.

Toronto signed right-hander Luke Bard to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training on Saturday, the team announced. He was also assigned to Triple-A Buffalo, according to Bard's transactions page on MLB.com. 

Bard, 32, spent the final few months of the 2022 season in the Yankees organization. New York picked the righty up in August after he was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay.

Later in that month, Bard was called up to the Yankees from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He ended up pitching only once in a Yankees uniform, tossing a perfect inning against the Athletics on Aug. 28. 

Bard returned to Triple-A a few days later, finishing the season with the RailRiders. All told, he posted a 3.09 ERA with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over nine outings. 

Before his brief stint with New York, Bard made eight big-league appearances with the Rays in 2022, posting a 1.93 ERA. The former first-round pick has pitched in a total of 55 MLB games dating back to his debut with the Angels in 2018, producing a 4.44 ERA in 81 innings. 

Toronto signed Green to a two-year deal in January, a high-reward signing for a veteran reliever who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Green had spent the last seven seasons with the Yankees, one of the most consistent and effective relievers in all of baseball in that span. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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