This is what i've been saying all along. And they had short-term choices, including Bard. To be honest, i was initially completely against the Bard-to-the rotation project, thinking he may become an elite close for little money. I, like many others, fell in love with the idea of having his stuff in the rotation, but bought fool's gold.
In hindsight, not making Bard the closer goes hand in hand with the hiring of Bobby Valentine and the non-pursuit of an established starter to fill out the rotation as the biggest mistakes of the 2012 season.