Red Sox sign C Bard

Jan 2, 2009 - 9:54 PM BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox on Friday signed catcher Josh Bard to a non-guaranteed one-year contract for the 2009 season with a club option for 2010.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bard, 30, batted .202 with one home run and 16 RBI in 57 games for the San Diego Padres last season. He made just 47 starts behind the plate as his playing time was limited by two stints on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle and a strained right triceps.

In 2007, the switch hitter batted .285 with five home runs and a career-high 51 RBI.

Bard returns to Boston, where he hit .278 in seven games in 2006. He was originally acquired by the Red Sox with outfielder Coco Crisp in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on January 27, 2006 and made six starts before being dealt with righthander Cla Meredith to the Padres on May 1, 2006 for catcher Doug Mirabelli.

The initial trade to San Diego was made due to Bard's difficulty in handling Tim Wakefield's knuckleball.

Overall, Bard has a .265 batting average, 28 home runs and 168 RBI in 431 total games with the Indians, Red Sox and Padres.