Listing the 25 most overpaid MLB players in 2023, from future Hall of Famers to surprise names
By Bill Felber
9. Madison Bumgarner, starting pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks
When the Diamondbacks signed Madison Bumgarner to a five-year, $85 million contract prior to the 2020 season, the afterglow of Bumgarner’s three World Series starring roles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 was still discernible.
It was plausible in those days to envision him as something approaching the pitcher he had been with the Giants, even though in his final three seasons with San Francisco Bumgarner was basically ordinary.
With the Diamondbacks he was worse than ordinary: a 15-32 record and 5.23 ERA in 69 starts.
When D-Backs chief exec Mike Hazen finally gave up and cut the cord with Bumgarner in mid-April, he was 0-3 in four starts with a 10.26 ERA. Since nobody else has shown interest in signing the available 33-year-old pitcher, his career appears to be over.
But there’s still the matter of the $23 million salary that the Diamondbacks continue to owe Bumgarner through season’s end. In exchange for that, he generated -0.7 WAR, putting his dollar value at -$6.822 million.
Combine that ‘performance’ — if that’s not too strong a term – with his salary and Bumgarner is being overpaid by $28.704 million to not pitch for Arizona during most of the 2023 season.