Madison Bumgarner was recently designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, as Arizona ate the last two years of his five-year, $85 million deal. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll be a free agent:
The Diamondbacks have DFA'd Madison Bumgarner, per @nickpiecoro pic.twitter.com/irlZys0Azc
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 20, 2023
The Diamondbacks are actually.. pretty solid this season, and they had seen enough of Bumgarner. His 10.26 ERA was pretty unsightly, and he’s had a disaster tenure in Arizona. However, there’s a few compelling reasons to sign him.
If you remember correctly, MadBum no-hit the Braves in a seven-inning affair in 2021. Additionally, he’s an NLCS MVP and World Series MVP, owning a staggering 4-0 Record and 0.25 ERA in the World Series over 36 innings. He’s arguably the greatest postseason pitcher of all time. That being said, those days are likely well behind him. Now, he’s probably going to have to settle for a minor-league deal, which would be perfect for the Braves.
Atlanta has battled numerous injuries this season, and they have little depth in AAA. Michael Soroka has been fantastic, but Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster have shown they aren’t quite ready. I think Bumgarner would provide some quality depth in AAA, and he would be able to mentor the young lefties Dodd and Shuster. If he’s signing on a cheap deal, I really don’t see the harm in stashing him in Gwinnett. And who knows, the Braves have shown their coaching staff can turn things around with pretty much anyone.
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Photo: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire
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