Inside The Red Sox

Ex-Red Sox 1st-Round Pick Signs With Mariners 16 Years After MLB Debut

A late-career comeback story
Jackson Roberts|
Mar 10, 2012; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Daniel Bard (51) pitches during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 10, 2012; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Daniel Bard (51) pitches during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. The Red Sox defeated the Rays 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Comeback stories in Major League Baseball are easy to root for, and a former Boston Red Sox pitcher is attempting one of the most improbable comebacks in recent memory.

Daniel Bard, who spent five seasons in Boston from 2009-2013, will be looking to make his return to the big leagues in 2025. And an American League rival has granted him a path do doing so.

On Wednesday, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that Bard agreed to a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners, a team known for getting good results from pitchers they collect from other organizations.

"Per source, Daniel Bard has signed a minor-league deal with (the Mariners)," Bradford wrote. "Will begin with 10 days in Arizona before reporting to Tacoma. Has multiple opt-outs over next couple of months."

Bard was the Red Sox's first-round pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft and made his debut in 2009. He was a superb reliever from 2009 to 2011, but when the Red Sox tried to make him a starter in 2012, everything went haywire.

Bard contracted a case of the yips, and couldn't recover for several years. He had a 6.22 ERA in 2012 and was sent to the minors halfway through the season. He spent nearly all of 2013 in Double-A, then ended up designated for assignment.

However, seven years later, Bard re-emerged in the majors with the Colorado Rockies and pitched fairly well as a reliever there for four years, including a remarkable 2022 season that saw him put up a 1.79 ERA and finish 16th in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

Bard missed all of 2024 with a torn meniscus and flexor tendon tear, the latter of which could have easily ended his career. He'll turn 40 later this month, so it's a remarkable comeback story on many levels.

The Red Sox will face the Mariners in Seattle from Jun. 16-18, so it would be a surprise if Bard managed to make the big-league roster in time to face his former club.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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