The Arizona Diamondbacks are surprisingly in first place in the National League West for the time being. However, they are making a surprising change after an ugly game on Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Diamondbacks have officially designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
‘The Arizona Diamondbacks designated left-hander Madison Bumgarner for assignment, sources said, a move that brings a likely end to Bumgarner’s time with the organization despite still being owed more than $34 million through next season.'
This was a long time in waiting, and Bumgarner's 2023 season has gotten off to a brutal start. In four starts, he went 0-3 with a 10.26 ERA and saw his Diamondbacks tenure end in horrible fashion. On Wednesday, he got into it with Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras as the two exchanged NSFW messages with each other.
Then, he would up going three innings, giving up seven runs with four walks in what would be his final action with the franchise.
Bumgarner was a force with the San Francisco Giants before joining the Diamondbacks in 2020. However, he failed to put together a winning record in Arizona, and he went 7-15 with a 4.88 ERA in 2022.
The Diamondbacks still owe Bumgarner $34 million, but once he clears waivers, he can sign with any MLB team for the league minimum of $720,000. With his recent struggles, it will be interesting to see whether or not Bumgarner picks up a deal with another team, although it wouldn't be surprising to see one MLB team take a low-risk flier on the veteran southpaw.