Bumgarner 'thrilled to be a Diamondback'

The D-backs introduced left-hander Madison Bumgarner in a press conference Tuesday after signing him to a five-year contract, which sources told MLB.com is worth $85 million. Bumgarner spent the first 11 years of his career with the Giants before signing this new deal.

“Thank you guys for believing in me,” Bumgarner said. “I’m thrilled to be a Diamondback and really excited to get started in this process.”

Arizona ranked 13th in the Majors in 2019 with a 4.23 starters’ ERA, but that also includes the contributions from Zack Greinke, who was traded to the Astros at the July 31 Trade Deadline. The division-rival Dodgers, who coasted to their seventh straight NL West title, led the Majors in starters’ ERA at 3.11.

“I think this is a pretty important day for us,” D-backs VP and general manager Mike Hazen said. “[It’s] something that we didn’t necessarily start out this offseason with this in mind ... but this piece, this player, this person, the more work that we did going through the offseason, [it's] what we felt like we needed at the top of the rotation. His presence, his leadership, certainly his track record. All the things we’ve watched from across the field, the success he’s had with the San Francisco Giants.”

Bumgarner was selected 10th overall by the Giants in the 2007 Draft -- a Draft in which the D-backs had the ninth pick and took pitcher Jarrod Parker. Bumgarner made his Major League debut in September 2009 and was called up to the Majors for good on June 26, 2010.

In his Giants career, Bumgarner had a 3.13 ERA in 1,846 innings in the regular season. But his legend grew in the postseason, where he has a 2.11 ERA in 102 1/3 innings, along with three World Series titles, as well as NLCS and World Series MVP trophies.

Bumgarner has an 0.50 road ERA in his postseason career, the lowest of any pitcher since earned runs became official in both leagues in 1913 (minimum 25 road innings). The next-lowest mark is 0.97, by Hall of Famer Bob Gibson. Bumgarner is also the only pitcher in postseason history with multiple shutouts in winner-take-all games, in the 2014 and '16 NL Wild Card Games, both of which were on the road.

Bumgarner had a 3.90 ERA in 2019, his highest in any season of his career. His home/road splits were notable, too -- a 2.93 ERA at Oracle Park and 5.29 elsewhere. It is worth noting, however, that he has a career 3.13 ERA over 118 innings at Chase Field, a park he’s quite familiar with due to his tenure in the division.

“This was a commitment we felt like we needed to make,” Hazen said. “We felt like starting pitching long-term is something that we wanted to make sure we shored up, and Madison Bumgarner was the right guy for us.”

In Arizona, Bumgarner’s pitching coach will be Matt Herges, who was named to the position at the end of October. Herges spent 2018-19 as the Giants’ bullpen coach. He’ll also reunite with catcher Stephen Vogt, who was with the Giants in 2019 and signed a one-year deal with Arizona earlier this offseason.