Looks like Tim Wakefield has a new playmate:

According to the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman, the Red Sox have parted ways with catcher Josh Bard. It appears that 25-year-old George Kottaras has won the backup catching job. It probably had something to do with his ability, and Bard's inability, to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Kottaras is also out of minor league options and the Red Sox didn't want to risk losing him. Bard, 30, was 6-for-14 this spring with one home run, five RBI and two doubles. He finished with a line of .202/.279/.270 in 178 at-bats last season.

For all the talk -- by me, among others -- about the Red Sox maybe needing to trade for a young catcher this winter, Kottaras isn't exactly chopped liver. He turns 26 this spring, and his career minor-league stats include a .366 OBP and .444 slugging percentage. He didn't make Baseball America's list of the Red Sox's top 30 prospects, yet I suspect there will be starting catchers in the majors this season who don't have Kottaras' talents. That's not really the question, though. The question is simply whether Kottaras or Bard is more valuable to the Red Sox right now. Considering that Bard is past his prime, doesn't seem to handle Wakefield well, and has career hitting stats no better than Kottaras' 2009 projection … well, this actually looks like one of the easier decisions Theo Epstein will make all spring.