Daniel Paul Bard (born June 25, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.

He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2009 to 2013 and the Colorado Rockies from 2020 to 2023.

Bard attended Charlotte Christian School and then played college baseball at the University of North Carolina.

He was Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshman of the year, and earned first-team all-conference honors.

In 16 games pitched, Bard was 8–4 with a 3.88 earned run average (ERA); his eight wins tied the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball freshman record.

Bard and fellow North Carolina left-hander Andrew Miller were rated the top two prospects in the Cape Cod League.

[2][3] Bard and Miller led North Carolina to the College World Series, where they lost to Oregon State, two games to one.

He admitted he had enrolled in classes at the University of North Carolina as a backup plan in case a deal with the Red Sox was not finalized in time.

[7] While pitching out of the bullpen for the Honolulu Sharks of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league, Bard put up a 1.08 ERA in 16 appearances.

Remaining in the bullpen during 2008, Bard split time between the Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs.

He posted a 1.51 ERA and had 107 strikeouts in 77+2⁄3 innings of work, and was named the 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Red Sox.

Although he gave up a walk and hit a batter, Bard managed to strike out the side to clinch the save.

Bard recorded his first major league win on August 26, against the Chicago White Sox after pitching a scoreless inning and a third in the eight and ninth followed by a walk off home run by David Ortiz.

[12] Bard continued to struggle in Triple-A, surrendering 15 walks and posting a 7.08 ERA in 20+1⁄3 innings through the end of July.

[18] He inexplicably lost command of his pitches, walking nine and hitting seven batters while recording two outs in a stint for the Single-A Hickory Crawdads.

[22] He made eight minor league appearances for the High-A Palm Beach Cardinals during the 2016 season, allowing eight earned runs in three innings pitched.

Bard then made 10 appearances for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in 2017, allowing 10 earned runs in 8+2⁄3 innings.

[24] He made a single appearance with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets, allowing four earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.

On February 22, 2020, Bard signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, and was subsequently assigned to their Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes.

[35] In April, the Rockies determined that Bard would miss the entire regular season for surgery on the flexor tendon in his right elbow.

[36][37] Bard played for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a relief pitcher.

He gave up 5 earned runs and injured Jose Altuve’s right thumb with a HBP during a quarterfinals matchup with Venezuela.

[38] Bard's velocity on all of his pitch types dipped several miles per hour in 2012, presumably as a result of his conversion from a relief pitcher to a starter.

[45] His cousin John Andreoli is also a professional baseball player;[46] he made his major league debut for the Seattle Mariners on May 23, 2018.