Diamondbacks part ways with Madison Bumgarner, eat $34 million of his contract in return

The 33-year-old left-hander will now go through waivers

PHOENIX, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - According to ESPN, the Arizona Diamondbacks designated veteran pitcher Madison Bumgarner for assignment early Thursday.

After a rough 2023 start for Bumgarner, the organization decided to part ways just one month into his fourth year in the desert.

In the meantime, the move comes with a heavy price for Arizona's front office - who now will have to eat more than $34 million of the remaining contract. 

Bumgarner signed a five-year, $85 million deal before the 2020 season that was set to last through the end of the 2025 season.

So with a whole year and a half of hanging onto that dead money, General Manager explained Thursday in a press conference why it was such a tough decision without knowing what went wrong.

"Look, the takeaways are challenging because I don't regret signing the human being and trying to get a starting pitcher where we did to help our rotation," said Mike Hazen. "It hasn't worked out for him and it hasn't worked out for us. Nobody would've foreseen this outcome, I don't think, but obviously it happened. And we're responsible for it happening, and I'm responsible for the decision as to why it happened."

In just over three years in Arizona, Bumgarner struggled posting a 5.23 ERA over 69 starts - including a 10.29 ERA through the first four starts in 2023.

Overall, a bumpy road for the three-time World Series champion.

With Bumgarner's departure, the Diamondbacks recalled left-hander Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A Reno.

Arizona begins a four-game home stand against San Diego on Thursday, entering the series leading the NL West at (11-8).