Diamondbacks 2024 Player Reviews: Matt Bowman

The MLB journeyman spent a short time with the Diamondbacks, but had a very interesting 2024. Here's how it went.

May 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Bowman (55) pitches against San Diego Padres at Chase Field. / Patrick Breen/The Republic/USA Today

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This article is part of a series chronicling the individual seasons of players that appeared for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.

Reviews for players that still have rookie eligibility for 2025 will appear in our prospect season reviews. Players are presented in the reverse order of their aWAR, an average of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs WAR

RHP Matt Bowman

2024 Contract status: Minor League contract, $925,000. Signed minor league deals with the Mariners and Twins again before finally landing in Baltimore.

	aWAR	G	IP	Record	ERA	FIP
2024	-0.1	25	30.2	1-0	4.40	5.19
Career	0.95	211	216	8-13	4.17	3.93

Matt Bowman had one of the more interesting seasons among the Diamondbacks we are reviewing this year. After starting the season with the Twins, he would go on to play for the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Orioles.

After spending the majority of the 2023 season playing for the Yankees AAA affiliate and getting just 3 appearances in the majors, Bowman signed a one-year deal with the Twins. He started on their minor league team where he gave up 0 runs in 6 innings before getting called up on April 15.

His time with the Twins didn’t last long, however, as he was DFA’d and traded to the Diamondbacks for cash on May 2nd after posting a 2.35 ERA in 5 appearances. Once he made it to Arizona, he had a rough time.

In just 4 outings with the Diamondbacks, he put up an 8.10 ERA. 5 of the 6 runs he gave up as a Diamondback came in 2 innings against the Tigers.

Bowman was DFA’d by the Diamondbacks on May 26 in a move that brought up LHP Blake Walston. Once he cleared waivers he was sent to the Reno Aces, which is when he elected free agency.

From that point on, it was a roller coaster for Bowman starting with him signing a one-year minor league contract with the Mariners. With the Mariners, he only made one appearance where he gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning.

Most of his time in the Mariners system was with their AAA team, the Tacoma Rainiers. After his only outing with the Mariners in the majors, he was DFA’d and cleared waivers. With the Rainiers, he played 8 games and pitched 10 innings, giving up 5 runs. 

On July 2nd, he was released by the Mariners and then picked up 22 days later by Minnesota again on a minor-league contract. In his second stint with Minnesota, he stayed in AAA where he pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 14.2 innings.

Once again, Minnesota parted ways with Bowman, this time by releasing him. On August 15, he was picked up by the Orioles on a minor league contract in what would be his last stop of the 2024 season.

After two games with Baltimore’s AAA affiliate, he finally got called up again and spent the rest of the year in the majors. With Baltimore, he had a 3.33 ERA in 16.2 innings and did not make the playoff roster.

All together, in the majors this year Bowman put together a 4.40 ERA in 25 30.2 innings.

2025 Outlook

2025 Contract status: One-year, $900,000

Bowman has a contract with the Orioles through the 2025 season despite not making the playoff roster. He will be a depth piece for them in the bullpen and will most likely start the season in AAA.

Bowman made his debut in 2016, but has only played 6 years due to a Tommy John injury that sidelined him for 2020 through 2022. Entering his age 34 season, it will be interesting to see if he has anything left in the tank.