The Colorado Rockies' first move at the 2022 MLB trade deadline is to lock down Daniel Bard, one of their key relief pitchers, for the next few seasons.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the new deal for Bard. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the extension is worth $19 million over two seasons.
Daniel Bard is finalizing a contract extension with the Rockies, per source. One of the better relievers on the trade market is no longer available.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2022
Bard has been with the Rockies since 2020 and has a 1.91 ERA this season, the best of his career. The 37-year-old has 43 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.
The Rockies once again are confusing everyone with their team-building decisions. They are last in the NL West at 45-56, a record that would only be the third best in one other division in MLB (the NL Central, which features three tanking teams). Yet, they decided to extend their veteran relief pitcher despite him being one of the best bullpen arms potentially up for grabs on the trade market. Trading away key players for prospects would have been the more sensible choice.
The Rockies' splashy signing of Kris Bryant this past offseason suggests that they do still want to be somewhat competitive. Danielle Allentuck of The Gazette said that Colorado didn't have much interest in trading him despite teams reportedly showing interest in him.
Daniel Bard said in his thoughts about the MLB trade deadline that there is internal optimism that the Rockies can turn things around this season. It remains to be seen if the team can make any significant progress during the rest of the season.
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