Philadelphia Phillies: 3 closer candidates to trade for
By Tim Boyle
2. Philadelphia Phillies closer trade candidate: Daniel Bard is a nice available fallback option.
The team Daniel Bard pitchers for won’t do much more than Bednar’s Pirates. Bard is a member of the Colorado Rockies and one of the small number of pitchers having a good year for them in 2022.
Bard is an interesting pitcher because of the 2020 comeback he was able to make. After pitching several seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 2009-2013, he spent the next few years in the minor leagues mostly rehabbing with minimal innings. In 2020, he successfully pulled off a comeback and gave the Rockies a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 innings of work. He wasn’t too great in 2021 but did successfully save 20 games. He is on pace to overtake that total this year for Colorado.
Bard is a free agent after this season so Colorado does have a need to trade him and get something in return. He’s about a full decade older than Bednar which further adds to the temporary status he would have on the Phillies roster.
In many ways, Bard looks exactly like the kind of closer option the Phillies would add. He’s kind of like last year’s trade deadline addition of Ian Kennedy. That connection won’t do much to encourage fans to demand the front office trades for him. In fact, if you feel a little sick to your stomach, you’re not alone.