Bard will likely be part of a three-man closing committee to begin the regular season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Bard avoided arbitration with the Rockies in late November by agreeing to a one-year, $4.4 million deal, but the team also brought in Alex Colome during the offseason, while Carlos Estevez is also in the mix. Bard saw plenty of ninth-inning work last year and converted 20 of 28 save chances with a 5.21 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 65.2 innings across 67 appearances. The 36-year-old struggles against left-handed hitters, and manager Bud Black indicated Wednesday that he'll be able to ride the hot hand among the three pitchers since none of them have very expensive contracts. While Bard should get a chance at some ninth-inning duties early in the year, he'll need to improve against lefties if he hopes to remain in the committee.