Dbacks designate former SF Giants ace Madison Bumgarner for assignment

A former face of the SF Giants franchise will likely be a free agent soon after the Diamondbacks designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have designated left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner for assignment, according to a report by Nick Piecoro of Arizona Central. Bumgarner, of course, was a longtime ace for the SF Giants before he signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Diamondbacks in free agency prior to the 2020 season. Bumgarner has a 10.26 ERA with 15 walks and 10 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched this season (four starts) with Arizona.

Dbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws a pitch against the SF Giants. (2022) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Bumgarner was drafted by the Giants with the 10th overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft out of South Caldwell High School in North Carolina. Bumgarner quickly proved to be one of the most advanced high school selections in franchise history, breezing through the minor leagues and making his MLB debut in 2009.

Bumgarner became a mainstay in the Giants rotation by the end of the 2010 season, and helped the team win its first World Series since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. In the coming years, Bumgarner would establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and played a pivotal role in each of the team's three World Series titles.

No aspect of Bumgarner's career is more memorable than the 2014 postseason. In the Giants last World Series run, Bumgarner took on a massive workload. During the course of the playoffs, he completed 52.2 innings and allowed just seven runs. In the World Series against the Royals, Bumgarner famously returned on short rest after a complete game shutout to record a five-inning save.

Bumgarner's career peaked from 2013-2016, a stretch where he completed more than 900 innings between the regular season and playoffs, received four consecutive All-Star selections, never posted an ERA above 3.00 in a season, and never threw fewer than 201.1 innings in a season. However, Bumgarner has seemingly never been able to return to form since a motorbike accident on his ranch in Arizona that sprained his throwing shoulder.

Bumgarner remained a solid pitcher with the Giants from 2017-2019, but his numbers were slowly creeping up. Since signing with the Diamondbacks, his performance has cratered.

Bumgarner has only made 69 starts with the Diamondbacks since signing, recording a 5.23 ERA in 363.1 innings pitched with nearly as many runs allowed (230) as strikeouts (276). Arizona has tried to lessen his workload, hoping that shorter outings to middling success, but after an ugly start to this season, they are deciding to move on in the penultimate year of his contract.

Given the SF Giants recent reunions with Sergio Romo and Darin Ruf, there will surely be speculation about a potential reunion with Madison Bumgarner. However, it's hard to envision a role for Bumgarner on the Giants' pitching staff unless he were willing to accept a minor-league deal and prove he was a viable left-handed reliever at Triple-A. Regardless, Bumgarner will now go on waivers, where he will surely go unclaimed, before likely requesting his release and becoming a free agent.