Diamondbacks make $34 million decision on former All-Star Madison Bumgarner

The news of the southpaw's designation for assignment was first reported by Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic and comes one day after Bumgarner was shelled for a season-high seven runs (all earned) on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts in a season-low three innings during the Diamondbacks 14-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Bumgarner is now 0-3 with a 10.26 ERA and 2.40 WHIP while posting a 10 to 15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts covering 16 2/3 innings pitched.

The 33-year-old is a former four-time All-Star, three-time World Series winner and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner with an NLCS and World Series MVP honor to his credit, but Bumgarner hasn't shown any signs of his past stardom since he left the San Francisco Giants following the 2019 season. He signed a five-year, $85 million deal with Arizona in December of that year and has since gone 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP in 69 starts over 363 1/3 innings pitched.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan's report, Bumgarner is owed about $20.4 million for the rest of 2023 and $14 million for the 2024 campaign. Assuming no team trades for him, he'll clear waivers and be eligible to sign with a team for the league minimum of $720,000.

Per Passan, with their core led by ace Zac Gallen and dynamic rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll (a 2019 first-round draft pick), the Diamondbacks (11-8) have "prioritized transitioning from their rebuild to being competitive this year." Arizona hasn't been to the playoffs since 2017 and hasn't won the division since 2011, but hold a two-game lead in the NL West over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the early portion of the season.

Even though Bumgarner is unlikely to ever return to his All-Star form, he'll likely find his way onto a roster eventually. What he can still be is a middle-of-the-rotation arm to eat innings, as he's had just two seasons since 2011 where he's failed to make at least 25 starts (excluding 2020) and only three since then where he hasn't pitched at least 150 innings.