MLB analyst on Madison Bumgarner’s availability after being DFA’d by Arizona Diamondbacks: "If I’m a contender, I’m not interested right now"
Madison Bumgarner has been officially designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team formalized the reported move Thursday after his latest clunker of a start against the St. Louis Cardinals, in which he gave up seven earned runs in three innings of a blowout loss.
"He has been unwilling to make the adjustments that are necessary for him to continue to pitch well at the Major League level."
@Mike_Ferrin and @Jim_Duquette react to the news that the @Dbacks have designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment.
#Dbacks | #ArizonaBorn https://t.co/E0xSjy0sCp
While a player with Madison Bumgarner's pedigree may be of interest to teams looking for another arm to solidify their rotation, MLB analysts Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette believe those teams should think twice.
Despite the Diamondbacks being on the hook for the $34 million remaining on his contract, they believe there are a lot of ways that a pitcher struggling as badly as Bumgarner has since leaving the San Francisco Giants could still cost a ballclub.
Ferrin said on MLB Radio:
"If I'm a contender, I'm not interested right now."
Madison Bumgarner, a one-time Giants staff ace, has been falling off the table this season. The 15-year MLB veteran, in his fourth season with the Diamondbacks, saw his ERA balloon to 10.26 through four starts after Wednesday's Cardinals' debacle.
The four-time All-Star, who is approaching his 33rd birthday, is in the fourth season of a five-year, $85 million free-agent contract he signed with the Diamondbacks prior to the 2020 season.
Bumgarner was brought on board to lend veteran leadership to a young Arizona ballclub, but his tenure in the desert has been largely a disaster. He is 15-31 with a 5.10 ERA in four-plus seasons with the Diamondbacks entering Wednesday. In 11 years with the Giants, he was 119-92 with a 3.13 ERA.
Ferrin continued:
"He has been unwilling to make the adjustments that are necessary for him to continue to be able to pitch well at the major-league level. He is really stubborn ... but he needs to not be stubborn and have a little bit of a 'come to Jesus' moment I think if he wants to continue to go."
Two possible fits for Madison Bumgarner?
Duquette largely agreed with Ferrin's assumptions. However, he believes that there are two teams that might look to bring Bumgarner on board and "fix" him.
One team that Duquette listed is the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are a traditionally successful MLB team that currently sits near the bottom of the National League Central, largely due to the team's poor pitching in April.
Of that match, Duquette said:
"You sit him next to Adam Wainwright, and they have a conversation."
Another possible contender, Duquette noted, was the Baltimore Orioles, of which he said:
"They have a long left field that might fit Madison Bumgarner."