D-backs DFA struggling Bumgarner, to eat $34M
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Jeff PassanESPN
Madison Bumgarner has been designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will eat more than $34 million remaining on the veteran left-hander’s contract.
The Diamondbacks announced the move before Thursday’s game against the Padres and recalled left-hander Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding roster move.
Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million deal with Arizona before the 2020 season, has struggled during his four years with the Diamondbacks, posting a 5.23 ERA over 69 starts. Perhaps his worst outing with Arizona came Wednesday, when he allowed seven runs in three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals and saw his 2023 ERA balloon to 10.26.
Bumgarner, 33, is owed around $20.4 million for the remainder of this year and $14 million for the 2024 season. Once he clears waivers — it is unlikely a team would trade for him, as that team would have to assume the remainder of the money on his contract — Bumgarner would be eligible to sign with a team for the major league minimum of $720,000.
In Wednesday’s game, Cardinals hitters mashed five balls at 100 mph-plus and feasted on Bumgarner’s fastball, which has dipped on average to 89.5 mph this season, 1.7 mph slower than 2022.
“I wish I had some kind of answers,” Bumgarner told reporters. “Not that I’m not going to look for them — I’m going to look for them. But right now, I don’t have any for you guys. I wish I did. But I don’t.”
At 11-8, Arizona holds a two-game lead in the National League West division. With a young core led by outfielder Corbin Carroll and right-hander Zac Gallen — and one of the best farm systems in baseball — the Diamondbacks have prioritized transitioning from their rebuild to being competitive this year.
General manager Mike Hazen said last month that Bumgarner’s salary would not impact his role, emphasizing that the Diamondbacks “need to win baseball games.”
“We’ve never been asked to make decisions based on money or anything like that,” Hazen said, according to The Arizona Republic. “We need to win baseball games. We’re trying to win every single baseball game we’re going out to play. We want the five guys in the rotation to solidify those spots and give us some stability there. … We’ll continue to assess it as we go, but we need to win baseball games.”
Bumgarner arrived in Arizona after 11 standout seasons with the San Francisco Giants, where he won three World Series and made four All-Star Games. Long known for his intensity on the mound, he was involved in a brief verbal spat Wednesday with Willson Contreras after the Cardinals catcher fouled off a pitch. The two appeared to exchange multiple expletives before Contreras walked and emphatically flipped his bat.
Bumgarner did not reveal specific details about what Contreras said or did to bother him, telling reporters, “If you can’t see it, I don’t know how to help,” before ultimately acknowledging that he needs to “pitch better.”
“It’s very tough,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday. “The empathetic side of me hurts for him, and I want every pitcher to do well and I know how hard he’s working. He’s just grinding.
“The other side of me is extremely frustrated. I just want to see everybody do well to help us win baseball games, and of course that didn’t happen today.”
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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