Madison Bumgarner was recently DFA’d by the Diamondbacks, who chose to eat the remainder of his contract. MadBum was once one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, but now, he’s fallen far from grace. The Yankees could certainly be interested in him, but should they be? Since Bumgarner is now eligible to sign for a veteran minimum, it wouldn’t be the worst investment.
MadBum is no longer what he once was, but we’ve seen Matt Blake work his magic before. It’s happened with numerous bullpen arms, Nestor Cortes, and a few guys that have made some spot starts over the past few years. MadBum could be a big piece for this team down the stretch, but it would definitely be a large risk. His pedigree is elite, though his time with Arizona is far from encouraging.
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Should the Yankees run the risk?
In the four years with the DBacks, he posted a 5.23 ERA over 363.1 innings, and his FIP was not much better at 5.18. His stuff has fallen off, he gives up tons of hard contact, and he’s got a ton of innings on his arm. He may just be 33, but he’s now thrown 2209.1 innings in his career. The bad with Bumgarner is very bad, but maybe there might just be some hope for him with Blake.
His time with the Giants was legendary stuff, as over the 11 years he spent with the organization, he won 3 World Series trophies and was heralded as one of the best postseason pitchers of all time. His tenure with them was elite, and he finished with a 3.13 ERA and 3.32 FIP during those 11 seasons. It was a match made in heaven, and he will likely never get back to that level.
Adding Bumgarner would be a good move if they give him a team-friendly deal, and it’d be nice to have some more edge and veteran presence added to the roster. His postseason success speaks for itself, and if he is able to rekindle something if the team signs him, he could be a nice weapon to have.
I’m not a believer in the new age MadBum, but I wouldn’t hate if the Yankees decided to take a shot in the dark. It could be a big win if they get a good version of him, but it is also a huge risk. Bumgarner doesn’t have the stuff he once did. His velocity is putrid, he gives up barrels and hard contact at incredibly high rates, and he’s no longer able to punch out batters. It could look like a stroke of genius if they get something out of him, but it all comes down to whether or not they believe the risk associated is worth the reward.