The Chicago Cubs could be interested in Boston Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard as part of larger trade talks for Matt Garza and/or Ryan Dempster, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. It's unclear whether Cafardo has some inside information or is merely speculating, but the Cubs have been rumored to be seeking young pitching.
Bard, 27, is no longer particularly young, but he could give the Cubs an intriguing power arm that's had substantial success as a reliever in the past. He's had mixed results in his conversion to the rotation this year, though, so it may be more realistic to view him as a bullpen piece at this point.
Part of why Cafardo believes the Cubs could be interested in Bard is the history of the club's key decision-makers. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod were all part of Boston's front office when Bard was drafted in 2006.
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