Daniel Bard News: Secures MiLB deal with M's

Bard signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Wednesday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Fully recovered from a flexor tendon repair surgery he underwent in April 2024, Bard threw in front of several scouts in May and evidently did well enough to capture Seattle's attention. The 39-year-old righty will begin building up at the team's complex in Arizona before joining the bullpen at Triple-A Tacoma. If he proves to be effective in the minors, Bard could work his way into the Mariners' bullpen, though his days of being used as a closer are likely behind him at this point.