Arizona's Big New Arm

The latest big free agent pitcher to come off the boards might be heading to the most surprising destination.

It was no shock for Madison Bumgarner to part company with the Giants. After three World Series championships this decade, his place in franchise history is assured. One day, his number-40 will be posted in Oracle Park's left field corner near Mays, McCovey, Marichal and Hubbell.

With 10 seasons in the books -- and significant injuries in two of the last three seasons -- the already lefty might not be the best investment for a club that needs to rebuild. His new team -- and the amount of his contract -- will raise eyebrows.

We knew he wanted to stay in the National League. He knows the opponents and enjoys having the chance to hit. And while rumors pointed him to Atlanta or San Diego, with a lesser chance to land in still pitching-thin Philadelphia, the D'backs weren't in the conversation -- until news broke over the weekend.

MadBum will help fill the void created when Arizona sent Zack Greinke to the Astros at the trade deadline. Still, one wonders if this is really the kind "win now" move that often goes along with a splashy free agent. In a division with the solid Dodgers, improving Padres and always-dangerous Rockies, are the Diamondbacks really contenders? Or is the Phoenix-area lifestyle, low taxes and quality of life more important to this potential Hall of Famer than enhancing his legacy?

(My image of Madison Bumgarner is from the 2016 NL Wild Card game, where his complete game shutout of the Mets launched San Francisco's successful run to a third World Series title.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rare Remnant of a Lost Ballpark

Image
When the subject of baseball in Brooklyn comes up, the discussion centers around Ebbets Field, the Flatbush venue most famously home to The Boys of Summer.  Those legendary 1940s and '50s teams that featured such historic and beloved players as Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges. Ebbets Field hosted its last major league game in 1957 and was torn down during the winter of 1960. But decades earlier, just before World War One, the Dodgers were based in the Park Slope area and played at Washington Park.  Once they moved out, the land was occupied by another stadium, which housed a different franchise.  The upstart Federal League, which played in the 1914 and '15 seasons, had a Brooklyn team called the TipTops.  Owned by a local baking magnate Robert Ward, whose company produced TipTop bread, the club took over the abandoned lot along 3rd Avenue and built a new brick and steel venue. The only no-hitter in the Federal League's two...
Read more

Will He Wear Zero in the Bronx?

Image
The Yankees bolstered their starting rotation with Thursday's signing of Marcus Stroman .  The Long Island native, who spent 2019 and '21 with the Mets before moving onto the Cubs, brings a 77-76 career record to the Bronx, along with a recent loyalty to uniform number (?) zero.  If he requests that, he'd become the third Yank to wear it, following the path of Adam Ottavino and Domingo German.  Of course, neither of their Yankee tenures ended all that well -- Ottavino struggled badly in 2020, before reviving his career with the Red Sox and Mets; German's alcohol and domestic violence issues sabotaged such Yankee highlights as last year's perfect game. Can a number truly be lucky? You can understand kids in little league or high school ball wanting to wear 2 in honor of Derek Jeter or 7 for Mickey Mantle.  But is there an heroic ballplayer associated with 0?  The closest I recall comes from pro football, where the Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame center Jim Otto wore...
Read more

Spring Training Flashbacks: Subway Series, Florida Style - 2016

Image
It's a return visit to the Mets' Florida home in Port St. Lucie, this time for a 2016 showdown with the Yankees. (Below), Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman chat during batting practice. Aaron Judge and Rob Refsnyder have their game faces on in the dugout... though neither would be in the starting lineup. (Above) A couple of Brooklyn natives that made their mark in New York baseball -- Lee Mazzilli and John Franco. (Below) Mets pitcher Josh Smoker makes friends by signing a few autographs. (Above) Mets reliever Jeurys Familia; (Below) 2nd baseman Neil Walker (Above) Curtis Granderson, one of the select few players to star for both the Yankees and Mets, getting ready for his third summer at Citi Field. (Below) Aaron Hicks came to the Yankees in a trade the previous November. 3rd baseman Chase Headley enjoying the Grapefruit League vibe, even against Mets ace Jacob deGrom. (Above) Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes watches where he hit one... so does Joe Girardi from the visitor's dugou...
Read more