Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Target Madison Bumgarner Signs With Division Rival Diamondbacks

It seems that the majority of Dodger fans got their wish. On Sunday, free agent pitcher Madison Bumgarner and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a 5 year, $85M contract.

With his deal came the end of the short “Madison Bumgarner and the Dodgers are interested” headlines. While just this week Clayton Kershaw welcomed the opportunity to pitch alongside the long-time Giants ace, instead he’ll remain a division rival where he’ll be welcome to “go get it out of the pool” for Max Muncy.

Joking aside, the deal marks something of another small miss for Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. After losing out on the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes, and Dodger Stadium was deemed too Hollywood for Anthony Rendon, today another LA target was traded to not the Dodgers just adding to the perception of a failed off-season.

Undoubtedly Friedman has irons in the fire when it comes to his next move. After adding Blake Treinen on a one-year deal, the Dodgers are in a position where they could stand pat on personnel and still likely be favorites in the National League. However — as has been discussed ad nauseam — this was supposed to be the winter where big moves got done.

NEXT: Fans React on Social Media to Anthony Rendon’s “Hollywood Lifestyle”

Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

67 Comments

  1. #1 The cost for Lindor is too high. #2 We really do need a solid starter. #3 It is getting late already, now is the time to move. #4 Lux and May stay!!

    1. The cost for Lindor/Clevinger is too high only because it’s the Dodgers, otherwise the deal might already be done for a package of Boris Yiddles and two bags of organic compost from Madonnas garden.

  2. With this performance by Dodger’s FO this off season the team DOES NOT DESERVE to come even close to playing in October A failed off season by these idiots is a huge understatement..

    1. Okay, Chicken Little. We get it. The sky in Los Angeles is falling now because the Dodgers didn’t throw a truckload of money at Cole, Strasberg, Rendon and Bumgarner. Geez, whatever will they do to survive now?! God forbid they should promote players from within their own farm system ?.

      1. whatever will they do? Probably lose in the playoffs that’s all. But bringing home a championship isn’t needed for the business. They’ve already got the attendance and tv deal. As long as they just put together division winners that’s all they need

        1. Richard you are 100% Correct it’s about Bottom lines and $$$$s Not World Series Championships that is something NY does not LA, sadly. Fraudman and Kastan are basement Bargain Basement Hunters not Champions….. Look at Both Fraudman and Kastan’s Track Records both are doing well as Scouts but Upper Management Skills are Weak at best, so the Dodgers will continue to do well and fill the seats but Not Win One Championship with those 2 Glorified Scouts in the Roles as Dodger Upper Mgmt.

      2. Yes Fakename70. It’s so sad that we are not Orioles fans, or Pirates fans, or Reds fans, or Padres fans, or Mariners fans…Or Detroit fans with their epic 114 loss season. It’s the same article, editorial, comments over and over again. Chicken Little says it all.

    1. Seriously. Bum has near 2000 regular season innings at 30. Why on earth would we give him a 5 year, 100 mil contract? Cole is 29 and has 1,200 innings. Think about it.

  3. Lol the Angels and padres are blowing it they need pitching bad and all they’ve done is get hitters. Cmon guys get some pitching or I’m not going to switch over to one of you. If the Angels can get Ryu and Keuchel I’m in. If the Padres can get both and a little more offense then I’m in there.

  4. It’s time to accept the conclusion that high FA’s don’t want to come to the Dodgers for some reason and it can’t be the lack of money offered.
    Cole more annual but less years.
    Rendon with Orange County bs.
    Bum for 17 per…Dodgers had to have bettered that deal…He said he wanted 5 and 100 mill min
    Lindor likely convincing Cleveland FO to ask for the moon so it won’t happen.

    1. The arrogant Dodgers won’t realize the error of their ways because they don’t think there’s anything wrong with how they do things and they think their players and farms sh*t don’t stink as they produce zero championships

      1. Not winning the WS is more the constant in Dodger history than winning them. They’ve been in 20 and won 5.

        1. Besides the Yankees that’s the case for every team. Theyve all had more stretches of nothing then They have of a lot. History means nothing when things are completely different now this group could bring a dynasty if they wanted there’s no rule that says the Dodgers can’t unless we are to believe that sports are like the wwe

  5. Either no deal was offered or he doesn’t want to come here. I find it hard to believe the Dodgers couldn’t have beat that offer even if it’s just by a Couple million

  6. OMG,…now Bumgarner!!! Who else is out there for the Dodgers to acquire,… can anyone on this website please explain to me what the Dodgers strategy, if any, is for upgrading the team,… even before the winter meetings all we heard and read about was how much money and trade bait, and especially, all the potential talent acquisitions that was available for them ,…. and so far all they can do is acquire the A’s pitcher? I heard that Friedman’s main job was to keep the Dodgers salary under the luxury tax,…they way under that,…so I ask once again what the *#@&*#!!! is going on!!!!

    1. Richard you are 100% Correct it’s about Bottom lines and $$$$s Not World Series Championships that is something NY does not LA, sadly. Fraudman and Kastan are basement Bargain Basement Hunters not Champions….. Look at Both Fraudman and Kastan’s Track Records both are doing well as Scouts but Upper Management Skills are Weak at best, so the Dodgers will continue to do well and fill the seats but Not Win One Championship with those 2 Glorified Scouts in the Roles as Dodger Upper Mgmt.

    2. The one trump card we have is May. He has a high ceiling. His stuff is electric. But we still need to get a top starter for a year or 2 till he is ready. And also to help with Urias getting his feet set. Urias may be opening some eyes right now and we don’t know about it. Time is flying with the best available pitchers, though, so hopefully Ryu comes back or Freidman has something else in the works

    3. Joe, it’s super simple. 3.8 million tickets sold There, you have it. Spend the least, make the most. I saved you thousands in college ‘business 101’ courses.

    4. Yes Joe it’s VERY simple. #1. Quit believing any rumors you here in sports or about the Dodgers. Team don’t leak their true interests EVER. That gives the advantage to the competition. The Dodger’s aren’t missing on these players(except Cole). Do you understand the economical or business side of sports? They could overpay for any of these guys and maybe win a WS. Then in 3 years and beyond, be strapped to these bad contracts which turns to losing. Also, w the bad contracts your strapped to, you give up your #1 rd pick if that player received a QO, which is most always the case. Look at the Cubs and Red Sox. Both won a WS and now have depleted farm systems and are going downhill. So the team could buy who they want and most likely win a WS or 2, OR build within, not have to give up a draft pick, and win the division year after year. You ask fans what they would prefer. 1 or 2 WS rings and 5 years of sucking OR winning your division 7 years in a row and counting? The vote would be pretty close to 50/50 i’m sure. However, it’s not our vote, and it’s apparent which way the owners prefer. Personally, I also prefer this way. So it’s actually quite simple. Just like your job probably is, so my advice is stay a fan, and let the people that do this for a living continue to do so.

  7. Dodgers are losers in the playoffs and the off-season and all they seem to get his has-beens

    1. Right Dave? All those losers and has beens, how in the world have they won 7 divisions in a row and 106 games last year? They just do everything wrong obviously.

      1. Ryan, the Dodgers played 76 of their 162 games last year in a sub par division that’s been that way for a few years now. That was how they got to 106 wins in 2019.

        1. PDF1965, In 2016, the year the Cubs won the WS, they were 50-25 in their own division. Last year the dodgers were 51-25 in the NL west. I don’t think there is a direct correlation here when it comes to winning it all. Both teams beat up on really bad teams in their divisions. But the contests with better teams in their divisions were not so extreme. The Dodger won series with Atlanta, Milwaukie and Washington in 2019. All Postseason teams. Teams they only face 6-7 times a year. The Yankees went 31-7 against Boston and Baltimore. 23-15 against TB and the Blue Jays. Most postseason teams beat up on bad teams in their own division. More games, more opportunity. Fact is, there are a lot of bad teams in the MLB. That is not a good thing.

  8. Why do the Dodgers even need to win a World Series? If you look at this as an investor, which Guggenheim is, it all makes perfect business sense. The Dodgers draw the highest attendance, have some of the best merchandise marketing, have a $8-billion TV deal that few can watch. Are they fazed by that? Nope! So, spending millions on players that might bring a championship is meaningless. To get the most money by investing the least. That is sound business. We are all viewing this as a fan, not an investor. The O’Malley years have been gone for a very long time.
    2017 was a legit year.
    2018 they made the post-season on Kemp’s crazy first half.
    2019 was a foreshadow of things to come. Sure, no ring, but some of the greatest profits in their history.
    Friedman’s job was to remain competitive and cut payroll, period. He has done that.

  9. Bumgarner,… gone, who’s left out there!!
    Lindor & Clevinger,.. NOT gonna happen now that Cleveland has the money from the Kluber trade, even though we all know that the Dodgers have know real intentions of pulling the trigger on that deal, they just want the public to know that they are active.
    Can anyone really explain to me what the Dodgers plans are for upgrading this winter? The whole fault to this disgrace,… goes to the Dodgers entire front office for allowing this to happen!!!!

    1. Why do we need/want Bumgarner? This is pretty simple, 1: our FO does not have the killer instinct to sign premier free agents (Cole), and no free agent worth his salt is going to want to play in platoon ville, 2: we cant make trades because demands are always excessive against us as opposed to other organizations. 3: therefore, get used to the fact that we are going to have to develop/build our own elites because nobody out there is interested in helping us or make fair deals with us.

      1. Right on again Ralph! Especially that about no FA worth his salt wants to come here and the sooner Roberts and his puppet mast figure that out maybe, well maybe something of substance might take place but please, don’t hold your breadth over this.

  10. Hard pass. Bumgarner is a #3 starter on the decline—- not the right guy. Look at his metrics. FB average dropped to 91-92 mph, fly-ball rate surpassed his ground-ball rate, hard contact rate 18 percent higher than at his peak (roughly 71 percent increase), etc. A once great pitcher approaching the end. D-backs simply hoping they can get prospects at the deadline.

  11. This offseason is becoming sadly comical. We’re told the club has tons of cash, a well stocked farm system but they keep losing on needed targets. I’m truly confused by the FOs impotent offseason. Either the rumors are just all wrong (meaning they were never really in on Cole, Redon, Madbum, etc?) or they are just posturing for the fans. As much as hate to say it (and I think they paid too much), the Yankees said they were getting Cole and they got him. I get the rumor business but some of those guys are pretty well connected, so are they just all wrong when it comes the Dodgers? On the other hand, is AF just used to being a small market GM or is all this, “we’re have the money to spend,” just a bunch of BS? I can’t help but wonder if the players/agents know they aren’t really serious so they don’t take the negotiations seriously.

  12. What are those dipsh*ts in the Dodgers F.O. doing? oh that’s right ….NOTHING! UGGGGH

  13. Hey Karl,.. so are Kershaw,Hill & Jensen,and we all remember who they all performed,especially in October, I don’t see where Bumgarner would be so bad for the Dodgers, he would at least make us feel that the Dodgers made some kind of effort to add to the pitching staff, especially when they didn’t even make an effort to get anyone at this point!

  14. You people are the answer to your own questioni .With fans like these who would want to play for the Dodgers?! A bunch of whiney short sighted negative trolls. You watch , when Friedman does pull of a great trade you’ll say “it’s about time” when really it takes time to put together a good trade. While all this complaining is going on he’s working to get it done! Sheesh!!

    1. Lol what big trade do you think will happen? It won’t be for Lindor..so for who? Likely some second rate pitcher

    2. Been waiting for a Championship for Over 30 years now, so count the years Fraudman has signed players that are not deserving of their contracts and the lack of Grade A signings to the list… Bring back the O’Malley’s please 30 Years is Long enough !!!!! Hold your breath for a Fraudman/Kastan to make a Great Block Buster Deal is joke btw …. Both are Glorified Scouts in Upper Mgmt roles and both their track records are nearly identical … Both are Good Scouts but not Wayne Cashman a Winner !!! 30 + Years is a good reason for the Dodger fans to be a bit upset here.. Voicing Our frustrations is allowed and healthy here at Dodger fan site !!!

      1. Curious how many other fans of the MLB baseball teams would be whining if their team had just won 106 games last season? or SEVEN division title’s in a row. The fans of 30 teams would laugh that your complaining when your apparent favorite team is thriving. You call it healthy, but it sounds more like a spoiled little rich kids only getting 99% of what he asked for Xmas. Healthy would be educating yourself on the business and economical side of the sport and understanding why the Dodge’s aren’t foolish enough to sign these players, instead of crying and getting your blood pressure up.

      1. Winning what?? Lol I want you to say it out loud go ahead say weak division titles and 2 World Series LOSSES

        1. Every division is weak. There are a lot of bad teams in every division year after year. You can see for yourself what all teams did in and outside of their divisions…http://www.espn.com/mlb/standings/grid. The lack of parity in baseball is bad for the game. But it is not specific to any one team. Every division winner has the opportunity to feast on bad teams in their own divisions. This argument has no legs.

          1. I like how you only focused on that and not the no championship part. The only argument you have with legs is the division. You got nothing regarding the playoff failure. Let me guess… crapshoot?

          2. not sure what you mean NODH. I am stating that claiming the Dodgers only win the division because it is weak is inaccurate. The stats are clear. All division winners have weak teams to feast on. Just because I don’t equate this fact to “playoff failure” doesn’t make this fact any less true. I have plenty to say about “playoff failure”. But that is a different subject. Your one note focus is leaving your brain in the dark. I focused on this claim…”Dodgers only win the division 7 years in a row because the division is weak.” Examine you claim. The fact is, all division winners feast on bad teams year after year because there are always bad teams to feast on. This is not good for baseball. But is not specific to the Dodgers and the NL west.

  15. Part of his job is to keep playing Gibson’s 1988 homerun, to keep you hopeful, as Guggenheim piles the money away laughing all the way to the bank. He did what he was hired to do as in Tampa: lose in the World Series and stay under the tax.

  16. Excellent, let AZ have him.
    He’s not the same pitcher has was years ago and AZ will soon realize it.
    He would have been a big mistake for LA.

    Buehler, May, Gonsolin, Urias work for me. Kershaw at the end of the rotation.

  17. 579-394. That’s Friedman’s record since taking over as president of operations for the Dodger’s. BTW is the best record in baseball by far during that time. Ticket sales at an all time high. Yet I read from about 60% of you morons you want him fired. News flash, baseball is a business not a kids game. Winningest record & record revenue. How many of you that are whining have done so for your company. 99% of baseball fans of other teams would laugh at all of you when most fans are lucky if their team is .500. Those of you that continue to cry like this are making Dodger’s fans everywhere look like Giants fans. Prior, we had Coletti that burdened this team with big name and big $ contracts. How many WS or divisions did the club when during that time? Yet everyone screemed to have him fired too. Would sure be nice to have a Dodger’s blog where you had to have a minimum baseball IQ to post!

    1. Bragging about regular season record classic I knew you would eventually. You know who would laugh? Fans of the Giants, Cubs, Astros, Redsox and Nationals. All did things the right way FOR THE FANS and won a title. Go ahead and brag to their fans though YOU will be the one getting laughed at, they have zero regret guaranteed. Who would trade a title for long sustained playoff LOSSES? Only a greedy investor and those are who we’ve got here. Colleti? He had to settle A LOT because of McCourt and his lack of money but he tried the best with what he had. Right now we are fortunate enough to have billions of dollars and a great farm but STILL won’t seize the opportunity! They can afford to put us over the top but championships don’t do anything extra for their bottom line. They’ve got the attendance the tv deal and a great BUSINESS they don’t care or need to bring it home for LA

      1. Wow…and they say Women are emotional…Nice to see some push back on this nonsense. thanks Baseball101…

    2. 7 division titles playing 76 games per year in a sub par division, 7 consecutive PS eliminations including 3 consecutive bouncings from October on their HOME FIELD, and last year’s 1st round elimination, and the fact now is no player considers the Dodgers a team to sign with or be traded to because of mainly the manager and this FO’s mind set…

  18. Bumgarner will show he’s not on the decline, but he won’t be pitching in Oct either. The dodgers will show they are the ones declining. Trying to win the world series with their triple A club. If I’m incorrect please someone correct me. Even the triple A team didn’t win their title.

    1. Everyone talks how great our AAA team is but don’t they fall short every year too? Not sure

  19. Unfortunately we will still see MadBum’s ugly face within the NL West but he will never wear Dodger Blue now.

  20. There would have been many Dodger fans who would have boycotted any Dodger game in which Baumgarner pitched for the Dodgers. We don’t mind seeing the Dodgers beating him when he dons the Diamondback uniform but not pitching along with the Dodgers when we all knew how much he hates the Dodgers and vice versa…or at least with us fans.

  21. because mad bum had injuries some of which was his own doing the dodgers probably did not want to go 5 years

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