PHOENIX — The up-and-coming Arizona Diamondbacks see themselves as potential contenders within the National League West after a great begin to the season.
That optimism compelled normal supervisor Mike Hazen to make a troublesome determination on Thursday.
The D-backs designated four-time All-Star Madison Bumgarner for task following his newest shaky begin, consuming almost $34.4 million of the wage from his $85 million, five-year deal that was signed in 2020.
“I ask our players and staff to have urgency around how we’re going to play and attack, so I have to do the same thing,” Hazen stated. “That was part of the reason we made a decision. The team has played its butts off over the first three weeks of the season, frankly.”
The transfer takes Bumgarner off the group’s 40-man roster and leaves Arizona seven days to commerce the 2014 World Series MVP or else place him on outright waivers. The Diamondbacks introduced the transfer Thursday, a day after Bumgarner allowed seven runs in three innings towards the St. Louis Cardinals.
The massive left-hander hasn’t lived as much as expectations within the desert since signing his long-term deal in 2020. A postseason hero for San Francisco, he has gone 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA in 69 begins and is having his worst season with Arizona.
The 33-year-old has allowed not less than 5 runs in three of his 4 begins and dropped to 1-3 with a ten.26 ERA after his newest blowup at St. Louis.
“I wish I had some kind of answers,” Bumgarner stated after Wednesday’s sport. “Not that I’m not going look for them — I’m going to look for them. But right now, I don’t have any for you guys. I wish I did. But I don’t.”
Hazen praised Bumgarner on Thursday, saying the pitcher got here to spring coaching in nice form and did the whole lot he may to enhance. There have been occasional good moments, however he was by no means near the identical pitcher he was in San Francisco.
Hazen stated he wasn’t positive why Bumgarner‘s steep decline couldn’t be stopped.
“We’ve all lost a lot of sleep over it, trying to answer that question,” Hazen stated. “I haven’t answered it yet and we’re here today, so I don’t have the answer for you. It just didn’t work out.”
Bumgarner is owed $20.4 million this season and roughly $34.4 million on the rest of his contract. If he clears waivers, he could be clear to signal with any group for a prorated share of the league minimal of $720,000.
Bumgarner was one in every of baseball’s greatest pitchers throughout 11 seasons with the Giants, serving to them win three World Series titles. He was a workhorse for San Francisco throughout that point, going over 200 innings seven instances along with 16 postseason appearances, together with a memorable five-inning save in Game 7 of the ‘14 Series.
The D-backs have a number of choices to take Bumgarner‘s spot within the rotation, together with prospects Tommy Henry and Brandon Pfaadt. They referred to as up lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz to bolster the bullpen within the meantime.
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