ESPNBoston.com 10y

Rangers release Daniel Bard

Daniel Bard's once-promising career has reached another roadblock, as the Texas Rangers released him Thursday, the third organization to cut ties with him in the past year.

Bard faced 18 batters for Class A Hickory, recording just two outs while allowing 13 runs, walking nine batters and hitting seven.

Bard was one of the most dominant relievers in the majors from 2009 to 2011, serving as the setup man for then-Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. Boston moved him to the rotation in 2012, an experiment that ultimately failed. He was moved back to relief but continued to struggle with diminished velocity, control problems and later an abdominal strain, and the Sox placed him on waivers in September 2013. He was claimed by the Cubs, but they non-tendered him in December.

Diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, Bard underwent surgery in January to correct a nerve issue. Now he's facing another uphill battle to find a team willing to give him a chance to resurrect his career.

^ Back to Top ^