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Madison Bumgarner Signs 5-Year, $85 Million Deal With Diamondbacks

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the second inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 19, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.

The 11-year veteran, Madison Bumgarner, is finally leaving San Francisco to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a five-year deal worth $85 million.

The Giants and Dodgers also kept contact with Bumgarner before he chose Arizona, according to reports. This will be the biggest splurge the Diamondbacks have made since 2015 when they signed Zack Greinke to a six-year, $205 million deal. Greinke was traded to Houston in July and Arizona finished the year 85-77 in second place, but 21 games behind the first place Dodgers.

In the postseason Bumgarner has an 8-3 record with a 2.11 ERA, and considered one of the best playoff pitchers of all time. MLB fans will remember his dominant performance in the 2014 World Series. Coming out of the bullpen in Game 7, he recorded a save pitching five scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals. His ERA of 0.25 in the World Series is still the lowest in history and he pitched more than twice as many innings as any other pitcher in the entire 2014 postseason, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

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Bumgarner is coming off a productive year, but also his worst. In 2019 the former ace compiled 203 strikeouts with a 3.90 ERA and a 9-9 record. The upside is the former Giant is coming off a year that tied his career high in starts with 34. This is after two injury riddled seasons starting in 2017 when he missed three months after injuring himself in a dirt bike accident on his off day in Colorado. In 2018 he broke his pinkie on his pitching hand in spring training after he was hit with a line drive. The incident required surgery to insert pins into his finger. Upon his return he started 21 games and finished 6-7 with a 3.26 ERA.

Olney also said that the velocity on his fastball has dipped and Bumgarner “has allowed 52 earned runs in 189 innings in home games for a 2.38 ERA. On the road, he was a completely different pitcher, mustering a 5.16 ERA.” This could be something to watch as next season plays out.

For his career the left-handed pitcher is 119-92 with a 3.13 ERA and 1794 strikeouts.

Frank DeLorenzo