If Clayton Kershaw (35) was in the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was a time when Madison Bumgarner (34) was in San Francisco. Kershaw was very strong against their biggest rival, San Francisco, and Bumgarner was equally strong against the Dodgers. Bumgarner has always been a thorn in the side of Dodgers fans.
But no Dodgers fans care much about Bumgarner anymore. He transferred to Arizona, which belongs to the same district, and still has a lot of head-to-head matches, but that’s because Bumgarner is now just such a player. His former glory has completely disappeared, and he has become a man in crisis that fans insist on ‘release’.
Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract with Arizona as a free agent ahead of the 2020 season, has been languishing in this desert land. After moving to Arizona, his performance plummeted. He posted a record of 15-32 with a 5.23 earned run average in 69 starts over four years. Bumgarner was an ace with a 119-92 ERA and 3.13 ERA over 11 years in San Francisco.
The command is also not good while the pitch is completely off. Hitters are no longer afraid of Bumgarner. He is 3-0 with a 10.26 earned run average in his first 4 games this season as well.
There are voices on fan sites that even insist on Bumgarner’s release. Arizona page AZ Snake Pitt of fan column site ‘SB Nation’ insisted, “Now we have to check the status of Bumgarner’s nomination for transfer (DFA).” Previously, I had to use Bumgarner crying and eating mustard because I was expecting a rebound from Bumgarner and there was no pitcher to pitch anyway.
However, the logic is that starting pitchers waiting for major league call-ups are now being prepared, and it is difficult to find more hope for Bumgarner. In fact, Bumgarner has been recording negative WAR for three and a half years since joining Arizona. Besides, his grades are getting worse and worse. He has an earned run average of 5.42 in his last 30 games, compared to 6.08 in his last 20 games, 6.78 in his last 15 games and 7.51 in his last 10 games. It is the epitome of downhill. 메이저놀이터
Bumgarner gets $23 million this year and $14 million next year, the final year of his contract. Much of his $85 million salary has already been paid off. Arizona is currently in first place in the National League West, thanks to the potential of new players this year, strong mobility, and the power to win. If Bumgarner doesn’t rebound, he could be taken out of the starting rotation, and for Bumgarner, who hasn’t had much lifelong bullpen experience, it could be the final blow closer to release.