Colorado Rockies: Daniel Bard happy with two-year contract extension

The broad smile and gleam in the eyes of Daniel Bard spoke volumes Friday afternoon as he sat on the bench of the Colorado Rockies dugout at Coors Field.

The 37-year-old closer had plenty of reasons to be smiling after the Rockies closer, who has converted on 21 of 23 save opportunities this season, inked a two-year contract extension covering the 2023-24 seasons.

“I don’t think it’s fully set in yet,” said the righthander on Saturday, whose 91.3 save percentage is second in the Majors while his .149 opponent average is tied for fifth-lowest among Major League relievers.

“Things came about pretty quickly once we started talking,” he added about the negotiations that resulted ultimately in the extension for Bard, who was set to be a free agent after this season.

Daniel Bard was out of the Majors as a player from 2014 to 2019.

Daniel Bard, a native of Houston, Texas, signed with the Colorado Rockies as a Minor League free agent in February 2020 after a seven-year playing hiatus from MLB. Prior to inking with the Rox in 2020, he had last pitched in the Majors for the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

“Where I was three years ago and making the decision to try to play again, and not knowing what that was going to look like or how long it would last or if anyone would even sign me and then to come through, barely two years removed from that, two and a half years, to have a team make this kind of commitment to show faith and belief in me is pretty cool to say the least,” Bard recalled about his decision to begin the trek to possibly return to the Majors.

Now in his eighth Major League season, Bard made his MLB debut with Boston on May 13, 2009. In 2011, he ranked fifth among American League relievers with appearances (70) and in opponent batting average (.179).

In his first year with the Rockies, a season that was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, Bard was named the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News and the Major League Baseball Players Association.

This year he became the seventh pitcher in Colorado franchise history to amass at least 20 saves prior to the All-Star break.

Besides thanking his wife, family members and friends for urging him to return to the MLB diamond, Bard noted his appreciation to members of the Rockies organization.

“… to the Rockies, they took a chance on me two and a half years ago,” he said. “Probably looked crazy when they signed me. People probably thought they were nuts. I think they believed in me from day one.”

Rockies Manager Bud Black, one of the individuals Bard specifically thanked for having faith in him, noted the importance of Bard to the Colorado franchise.

“Well, this was a good one, I think for everyone,” Black said of Bard’s contract extension. “This one feels really, really good. Feels right. Daniel has proven, in a short period of time, what he means to this team.

“First and foremost, there’s performance. From (20)20 to (20)21, now (20)22, he’s gotten better. I still think there is more in there, obviously, in the years to come. So, I’m excited for Daniel. I am excited for our players, for fans and the organization to nail this one down. This is a good one.”