Diamondbacks shut down former SF Giants left-handed hurler

As the Arizona Diamondbacks look toward the future, it is becoming increasingly clear that a former SF Giants lefty is not in the team's long-term plans. The Diamondbacks decided to shut down Madison Bumgarner after yet another rough campaign.

Diamondbacks shut down former SF Giants left-handed hurler

It may amount to only two starts, but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo admitted that the organization wanted to take a look at some younger pitchers. To his credit, Bumgarner handled the decision with respect, but I have to wonder how long the leash is for the former Giants lefty.

San Francisco originally drafted Bumgarner in the first round of the 2007 draft out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina. He spent his first 11 seasons with the orange and black while cementing himself as one of the pillars of the championship run.

The left-handed hurler won 119 games in a Giants uniform while appearing in four straight All-Star games beginning in 2013. Of course, his regular season accomplishments pale in comparison to what he did on baseball's biggest stage.

Bumgarner played a huge role in the first two championship teams in 2010 and 2012, but he was otherworldly in 2014. The southpaw registered a 1.03 ERA in 52.2 postseason innings, which included three appearances in the World Series where he yielded one earned run across a combined 21 innings.

When the 2019 season came to a close, Bumgarner hit free agency for the first time. It felt like new front office had prepared to move in a different direction well before he became a free agent but they did make an offer before he signed a five-year, $85 million pact with Arizona.

This move has proven to be disastrous for the Diamondbacks as the 33-year-old pitcher has posted a 4.98 ERA across three seasons since signing the deal. The 2022 was no different as he registered a 4.88 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.43 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, and a 2.29 SO/W ratio in 158.2 innings.

Bumgarner has two seasons remaining on his contract but it is appearing increasingly unlikely that he will finish out that deal with Arizona. It has been tough to watch from afar for Giants fans, but hopefully, he can find a way to regain some of what made him so dominant with San Francisco.