Boston Red Sox: Why Bobby Valentine Has to Leave Daniel Bard in the Rotation

In his major league career, Daniel Bard has never started a game, spending all his time as the set-up guy for closer Jonathan Papelbon. He made a name for himself as one of the game's premier eighth-inning men and when free agent Papelbon signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, it was assumed he would fill the void.

However, Bard wanted to be a starter, which he was back in his Double-A days. At the end of spring training, Bobby Valentine said he would be the team's fifth starter. Two days after that, closer Andrew Bailey went down with an injury and there was a debate about who should replace him.

Alfredo Aceves was named the closer and Daniel Bard was left in the starting rotation. But after an opening weekend which saw the Sox allow two walk-off wins en route to a sweep by the Detroit Tigers, the closer conversation has started again.

Some, including Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, are now calling for Bard to be moved back to the bullpen.

It makes perfect sense. Aceves has been atrocious, allowing all five hitters he's faced to reach base and blowing two games in just 14 pitches. However, as tempting as it may be, the Sox simply cannot move Bard into the closer role.

Yet. If things continue like this, and Aceves, Mark Melancon, Franklin Morales, Dennis Eckersley and anyone else the Sox use all fail, Bard should indeed become the closer. Not yet, though.

Boston has to give Bard a chance to prove himself as a starter. Moving him to the bullpen before he's even had a start is just messing him around. Even after he makes his first start on Tuesday in Toronto, moving him makes little sense.

If he pitches well, the Sox can't afford to take him out of the rotation. If he pitches poorly, moving him back to the pen shows a lack of confidence in his ability.

Perhaps Bard should have been made the closer as soon as Bailey went on the DL. He wasn't. He is in the rotation now and he has to be given a fair shake as a starter, regardless of how much of a mess the bullpen is in.

Adam MacDonald has been a featured columnist for the Boston Red Sox since October 2010. He also writes about cricket a fair bit. He likes video games and sandwiches. You can follow him on Twitter, or tell him how awesome/terrible this article was, by clicking here.