Veteran right-hander recently threw in front of scouts for around ten teams, Rob Bradford of WEEI. Hes drawing interest from a variety of clubs, including some West Division contenders in each league. Bard, wholl turn 40 next month, mi sed the 2024 season after undergoing a pair of surgeries: one to repair the meniscus in his left knee and a second, more serious procedure to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow. He told Bradford that he was hoping to begin throwing off a mound in late February with an eye toward signing in late April. It seems that timetable wound up being a bit optimistic, but Bards recent showcase and interest from contending clubs seems to signify that hes back to full strength. As recently as 2022, Bard was one of the sports top relievers. He enjoyed a brilliant comeback effort with the Rockies that season and entered the trade deadline as one of the most widely anticipated trade candidates the market had to offer. The Rockies, ever marching to the beat of their own drum, felt differently and signed a then-37-year-old Ty Buttrey Jersey Bard to a two-year extension worth $19MM. Bard dominated down the stretch for the Rox post-extension, finishing out the year with 34 saves (on a 68-win team), a 1.79 ERA and a 28.2% strikeout rate. He struggled in 2023, logging just 49 1/3 innings with a diminished 4.56 ERA, a 20.3% strikeout rate and a jarring 21.1% walk rate. His fastball, which averaged 97.9 mph in 2022, sat at 94.4 mph in 2023. Last years injury-lost season officially closed the book on that two-year, $19MM contract. A comeback at age 40 might be something of a long shot, but that was also true when Bard returned from a six-year absence at age 35 in 2020. When the right-hander has been healthy, hes generally been effective. In four seasons since returning to the majors, hes pitched to a 3.83 ERA with a 25.1% strikeout rate and 13.5% walk rate (3.58 ERA, 26.9 K% and 10.8 BB% if we exclude that 2023 season when he did not seem to be pitching at full strength). At this point of the MLB season, there arent many trade opportunities available to contending clubs looking to strengthen their roster nor are there many free agent po sibilities of note. Bard joins fellow elder statesman whos about two and a half months older as an exception to that line of thinking. Given that hes looking to reestablish himself after a lost 2024 season while Robertson is seeking a notable salary on the heels of a terrific 2024 campaign, Bard stands as the clearly more affordable option of the two. Whether Bard ultimately signs a minor league contract or a big league deal with a low base salary, two things will likely be true: the contract will be laden with incentives that boost his earning potential if he remains healthy, and hell likely need a tune-up in the minors before jumping directly into a major league bullpen. Its hard to imagine him being a real option before mid-to-late June, but that still makes him a more immediate option than the majority of the arms wholl change hands on the summer trade market. Scott Kingery Jersey