The Diamondbacks announced that left-hander Madison Bumgarner has been released. The southpaw had been designated for assignment last week.
The move doesn’t come as a shock, given the combination of his contract and his poor results of late. He and the D’Backs agreed to a five-year, $85MM deal going into 2020 after the lefty had spent a decade as an incredibly effective pitcher for the Giants. Unfortunately, he seemed like a completely different pitcher once he switched jerseys, starting with a 6.48 ERA in the shortened 2020 season. His strikeout rate dropped to 15.8% after being in the mid-20s for much of his earlier career.
Given the strange nature of that year, it didn’t necessarily portend doom for the remainder of the contract. He bounced back somewhat in 2021, getting his strikeouts back up to a 20.2% level and his ERA down to a more respectable 4.67, but he didn’t get back to the dominant levels of his time with the Giants. His strikeouts dipped again to 16% last year as his ERA climbed north a bit to 4.88. Here in 2023, things went even further south, as he was torched for a 10.26 in his first four starts, punching out just 11.1% of opponents while walking 16.7%. As the club shifted to win-now mode and dedicated its rotation spots to young pitchers on the rise, Bumgarner wore out his welcome in Arizona.
His contract still runs through 2024, with a $23MM salary this year, leaving about $19MM and change left to be paid out before he’ll make $14MM next year. Given that hefty financial commitment and his recent struggles on the mound, it’s unsurprising that none of the 29 other clubs were willing to put in a waiver claim and take on that contract, leading to today’s release.
Bumgarner will now officially return to the open market and will be free to sign with any club, with the Diamondbacks remaining on the hook for that money. Any club that’s willing to give Bumgarner a shot will only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount being subtracted from what the D’Backs pay. The level of interest he will garner remains to be seen. The minimal financial commitment will certainly be appealing but that will have to be weighed against his lack of effectiveness this year and in the previous three as well.
Bochy can fix him in texas
No thanks, we don’t want or need him in Texas.
No thanks, we don’t want or need him in Texas. How can Bochy fix him? Can he add 5 mph to his fastball somehow?
@cww53- Does he really have to add 5ph to his fastball to be effective? If anybody can reinvent themselves it would no doubt be Mad Bum.
What if he transitioned to a late inning reliever? He definitely has the tempernent for it and would likely get some oomph back on the fastball
How can Bochy fix him? Can he add 5 mph to his fastball?
cww, I think there’s something wrong. I think you are gltching, cww. Cww, something appears to be the matter.
He’s really getting his point across
In any event, cww does not give Bumgarner rave reviews
Peter O’Brien – never forget.
I don’t think cww53 is a real person. I think he is ChatGPT bot answering like a real person. I don’t think cww53 is a real person. No thanks, we don’t want him or need him in Texas.
@cww53- Having a good fastball is important, but is not everything. How many times do we see pitchers with average stuff being effective? Basically the point is Mad Bum could still be decent, on some mlb team out there. I wish my Yankees could sign him to a minor league, and there’s no real risk either in doing so, right?
I’d like to see MadBum at AAA. I’d also like to see him mouth off to some career minor leaguer who has nothing to lose, and watch MadBum get ‘field-counselled’.
Giants fan here Dkf, and Bochy was great but he didn’t “fix” pitchers. He reaped the benefits of great pitchers drafted and great pitching coaches–Righetti and Gardner. He didn’t develope the core 4 of Wilson (then Casilla), Romo, Affeldt and Lopez but they were so reliable he was able to win 3 titles. He won 3 titles with great managing skills and player handling, but this narrative about his ability to develope great pitchers is way off base. It can be argued that his pitchers helped develope a great manager.
How far he’s fallen..Not even sure someone like the A’s would be interested at this point..He looks absolutely awful.
Will be a Ranger by Saturday.
No thanks, we don’t want or need him in Texas.
He’s married to Kelly Nash from MLB Network
That’s Dallas Keuchel
He and Keuchel are done. Would rather see some Double A pitcher called up over having either on my team.
Not to mention Keuchel’s wife who was once fairly attractive yet has ruined herself through weird surgeries and an aversion to consuming proper nutrition.
Yikes.
Yikes to you, not to her.
TruthLemonade: Yikes??
Lemonade: You received 8 thumbs-ups from 8 insecure Wokies who get triggered by everything. That’s 8 unearned freebies for you. Congrats.
Sounds like those insecure wokies have you pretty triggered. Hurry, go find your safe space.
Snowflake: Only insecure Wokies can be triggered, Weirdo. Your analysis is a train wreck.
Nottingham: I don’t know anything about her. Was she gorgeous once but then nonsensically butchered herself with surgery? And what’s the deal with her nutrition?
Not gorgeous per say, but an attractive girl next door look. Then she got into face altering surgery and began to have that alien look that happens to ladies. You can also tell she barely eats which exasperates he alien look. It’s a shame, really.
Nottingham: That’s very sad. She must be incredibly insecure, perhaps even with an image-disorder literal mental illness.
I know exactly the alien look that you’re talking about! It’s disturbing. So *MANY* women in ads and movies and on tv these days look like guys in drag or creepy aliens. Sick world.
*per se
Hoo cares?
I always wonder why “athlete wife” shows up on Google search. It was you all along.
So why mention it?
Bizarre subject matter for a baseball rumors site
In fairness, Kelly Nash is a regular on the MLB Network, so there is a baseball tie. How she was even raised in this conversion when she has no connection to Bumgarner is more of a mystery. Seems to be one poster with an odd obsession.
Ryan: How so?
KJE: Why defame the poster with an allegation that he has “an odd obsession”?! How ironic of you to behave that way while virtue-signaling.
This ain’t People magazine.
It’s MLBTR.
Not sure anyone can turn back clock on him – but someone will try
maybe if it lags on a bit the giants can do a 1 day signing and have him throw a couple of pitches and retire a giant
Or…sign with Tampa Bay & retire as a shrimp…
I think he is still upset the Giants didn’t resign him. Don’t think he is interested in retiring a Giant.
he made it out when he left like he was leaving a sinking ship. Romo didn’t part on the best terms either but had an awesome homecoming before retiring.
He was a leading candidate for the 4 decade club. He was born August 1989, and debuted September 2009. He would only be 40 for most of the 2030 season.
It’s more likely I can magically make the majors now than Bum holding on for 7 more years
Just gonna guess Bumgarner will not be pitching in the majors in by 2030
or 2024
The prediction made by some that he’d reach 300 wins has fallen quite short.
At 6’4″ nothing short about Bumgarner.
Having been a success in my business in middle age, when I retired, I’m sure everyone snickered about my “short comings”
Grow old posters and get punched in the face & forgotten & see how you like it
Could he theoretically latch on with a new team for the pro rated league minimum, pitch to an exemplary ERA and then sign a new free agent deal next year so that for the next few seasons he’d be making double salaries?
Theoretically, yes.
He’s under contract for $14MM for ’24.
MadBum only has a $14M salary for next year (2024) on his existing contract. Then in 2025, 2026 and 2027 he is due $5M each of those years in deferred salary from his 2021, 2022 and 2023 contract.
As I understand it, he cannot double dip in 2024. If he signs for the League minimum, that amount is deducted from what the Dbacks will pay him. If he signs for more, whatever that “more” is will be deducted from the $14M the Dbacks pay him. Dbacks would love for someone to sign him for 2024 to reduce their liability for that year.
Then (again as I understand contracts) in 2025, 2026 and/or 2027, he can sign for any amount and he will get that amount plus the $5M each of those years. In that limited sense he will be “double dipping”. Don’t hold your breath that MadBum has anything left in the tank for 2024, let alone 2025-2027.
No.
I STILL love me sum “Mad Bum”.
Through 2016 awesome pitcher
Then came dirt bikes
2017-2019 ok pitcher
Then came rodeo
2020-2023 not good at all
…..but he did make $27K on the rodeo circuit, so definitely worth it.
He hasn’t lost any money as a result of this move.
I meant he probably ruined his pitching career putting his body through the trauma of crashing dirt bikes and riding rodeo
Difficult to determine but if those activities brought him joy then it was likely worth it to him.
Since people in this thread are comparing Madbum to Keuchel, here are their stats from 2021 and 2022.
In 2021 Madbum had a 4.67 ERA, a lower FIP, a 1.12 Whip and a 1.7 WAR.
In 2021 Keuchel had a 5.28 ERA, a 1.53 Whip and a 0.1 WAR
In 2022 Madbum had a 4.88 ERA a lower FIP, a 1.44 Whip and a -0.7 WAR.
in 2022 Keuchel had a 9.20 ERA, a 2.06 Whip and a WAR of -2.6
Madbum has always been a slow starter. I don’t think he is done.
When you factor in Keuchel’s association with Altuve the scales tip even further in Madbum’s favour.
As long as he’s healthy, a non-contender can plug him in to eat innings and be a vet presence. Assuming he gets pick up quickly, MadBum won’t even need a minors assignment.
Bumgarner needs to work on his attitude. He throws little temper tantrums over the dumbest things. That’s my main concern if I’m a club looking to pick him up. I understand he can be competitive, and that’s fine it’s part of the game, but throwing fits over minor things is absurd.
YankeesBleach
I don’t know of any team that thinks MadBum can be a good clubhouse veteran presence. When the Dbacks players were asked about that, they all referenced watching him go about his business. No one complimented him on anything he actually said to them as advice.
If that’s true, then I wouldn’t want him in another clubhouse. That’s not a good indication of good camaraderie.
He’s a lefty with a history of success. He will definitely attract some interest. Maybe the Red Sox could take a flyer.
Maybe Detroit as well?
Not only will the cardinals sign him, but they’ll offer him a 5yr extension
If Bumgarner signs with any team, not named the Rockies he will be better. Arizona was the worst place for him to play if he had signed with any other place then he would have been ok.
Let me be the first to welcome him to Anaheim.
He’s just the type of proven winner with nothing in the tank Arte loves.
But this comes with ZERO risk
Exactly.
Other than the risk he gets shelled for a few games.
Tampa or Oakland and he will turn to gold.
No MLB pitcher should not ever consider pitching for Colorado or Diamondbacks, they will be really bad until. they leave.
What about Gallen, Kelly, Johnson, Schilling, etc?
Also Greinke wasn’t too bad in AZ either.
What a stupid comment
You’re getting mocked, larry.
Good thing there’s no thumbs down button!
maybe if he got that stick out of his bum it wouldn’t be so mad.
I’ve probably seen half of Bummy’s starts in his career. He’s as cool as a cucumber if a player makes an error behind him. I’ve never seen him show up one of his players. He gets grumpy over the strike zone occasionally but rarely gets completely flustered by a bad pitch call. What he does get outwardly and probably overly PO’d about is when one of the opposing players breaks one of the “unwritten rules” about showing up the pitcher.
He’s way old school and now that the bat flipping era is officially here I wonder if he’s going to evolve seamlessly.
He is old school when it comes to the unwritten rules. Fierce competitor is what I saw during his Giants days. Sad to see his decline. During his strong years he could keep his cool and get out of jams. Nerves of steel which was showcased in the postseason.
He’s a pissant that needs a distemper shot.
He needs a distemper shot.
He needs to mind his own business. Notice how he always starts trouble, but waits till teammates are between him and the other guy. Bob Gibson would tune him up.
I could see Mad Bum being a great left handed specialist or long man out of a bullpen. Maybe the Orioles with that left field wall would make for a good fit?
N on the mound tonite4 Ur New York Yankees … would help em w/there budget woes, could stick em leftfield
Bumgarner might not be a bad option for the Red Sox as a starter or even the Pirates as a reliever.
He’s not “broken”. There is nothing to fix. Seems that everyone posting doesn’t expand their horizons on players. Just stats and performance 🙂
Madbum is done with baseball. He was done in 2019. He took his Rodeo profession in EARNEST at the end of 2019 and on. When he was traded he tanked. You think it was because he moved? If he dumps for 2 years he gets released, gets a payout, gets to Rodeo and that IS his passion now, not baseball. What is the worst-case scenario? They keep him and he STILL Rodeos just not as intense? Because Madbum IS intense.
Why was he allowed to go free agent with a meager offer to stay? Giants already knew he was doing the Rodeo bit and were not happy.
No, he has lost nothing other than the desire to pitch
Now he’s got all the time to go get the ball in the ocean.
Perfect! Cudos Ariana!
If he leaves now he can make Amarillo by morning
I’ve been through Amarillo dozens of times. Cadillac Ranch & 72 oz steaks.
Angels?
Would not surprise me if J.J. Picollo signs him to a minor league deal. Hope not but I can see it happening.
Big name 10 years past his prime? This has White Sox written all over it.