In 2022, Bumgarner will earn a base salary of $23,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $23,000,000. It’s just been tough to watch someone who was once dominant, and still so young––just 31––struggle so much to compete.Madison Bumgarner signed a 5 year / $85,000,000 contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, including $85,000,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $17,000,000. Especially for his reign of terror in the 2014 postseason. So while his decline may already be in front of us, at least he’s going out having broken the bank.Įveryone will always remember Bumgarner for what he accomplished with the San Francisco Giants. Bumgarner had 85 million reasons to move to the desert. Following a season where he had the fifth-highest fly-ball rate (41.6 percent) among starters, this situation should’ve been at the bottom of the list.īut you know what they say: money talks. Leaving a ballpark known for being pitcher-friendly, going to one with the desert air like Chase Field, was a metaphorical death sentence. It is quite possible, however, that the southpaw once regarded as a postseason legend, has sped up his own decline. Meaning this contract is fast-approaching albatross levels. Should these struggles linger, not many teams, if any, would want to take on a bottom-tier pitcher for $17 million-per-year. But the fact remains that his days of using his fastball to miss bats is likely behind him.Įspecially on his fastball, which has seen a whiff percentage decrease of 13.5 percent. Is it likely to stay that low? Probably not. Perhaps this is largely due to a mixture of a lack of preparedness and injuries, but that’s still a steep dip. However, his fastball has plummeted from 91.4 mph in 2019 to just 88.0 in 2020. Madison Bumgarner has never been a flamethrower (highest average fastball velocity for a season was 92.7 in 2015). Bumgarner will likely make two more starts in 2020, meaning his 162-game pace would be 24 starts.īut what other indicators of decline exist in Bumgarner’s game? Drastic dip in velocity Bumgarner went the distance for the Arizona Diamondbacks to beat the Braves, 7-0. Note: Because of the COVID-shortened season, each game is worth 2.7 of a 162-game season. Madison Bumgarner took the mound in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon for a game that was scheduled to last seven innings. A man once regarded as a bulldog, Bumgarner has made 30 starts only once since 2017. However, it’s worth noting that 2020 is his third season in the last four with an injured list stint. Though Bumgarner’s track record of solid pitching leaves me hesitant to wave the white flag entirely. ![]() Has the end come early for Madison Bumgarner? ![]() As a result, a big question has come into play regarding the former postseason hero. He’s not missing bats, his fastball is down an average of 3.4 mph from last year, and he’s only in year one of five. Madison Bumgarner’s chart, showcasing him as one of the worst pitchers in Major League Baseball for 2020 (via Baseball Savant) This start, his seventh of the season, gave him an 8.53 ERA, an 8.95 FIP, and a strikeout rate of just 12.4 percent. In 5.1 innings against the Angels, Bumgarner gave up eight runs on 13 hits, surrendering two home runs in a no-decision. Mix those numbers with a fly-ball rate of 41.1 percent or higher in three of the previous four seasons, and it should’ve sounded the alarm for Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen.įast forward to Tuesday night––all concerns were on full display. And certainly a far cry from his 2.98 ERA, 3.05 FIP, and 2.98 SIERA from 2014. None of those numbers are bad but certainly left a little to be desired. The Diamondbacks were signing a lefty coming off of a season where he posted a 3.90 ERA, a 3.90 FIP, and a 4.31 SIERA. The drawback, however, is that run was in 2014. The latest of those titles saw him go on one of the most dominant stretches in postseason history. After all, the now 31-year-old southpaw is a three-time World Series champion. The deal brought an average annual value of $17 million, leaving many to believe the Diamondbacks made out like winners. Not only did he close the book on an era of excellence, but also left the safe haven of Oracle Park for the desert air of Chase Field. ![]() In December, left-hander Madison Bumgarner signed a five-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. MLB Did Madison Bumgarner Speed up His Own Decline?
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