Ace’s side job surprises D-Backs
GM Hazen says team was unaware Bumgarner was involved in rodeo
General Manager Mike Hazen said Monday the Arizona Diamondbacks were not aware that pitcher Madison Bumgarner had been participating in rodeo events for years under a secret identity.
Bumgarner apparently has been competing for years in team-roping events under the alias “Mason Saunders,” a revelation first reported Sunday by The
Athletic. His alias was blown after he was recognized from pictures posted on Facebook from a Dec. 3 event at Rancho Rio Arena in Wickenburg.
Bumgarner talked to The Athletic on Sunday but said through a team spokesman on Monday he would not provide further comment.
Hazen would not say whether Bumgarner, who signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the Diamondbacks in mid-December, is contractually forbidden from such activities, and he said he does not tell players what they can and cannot do off the field.
“Madison is a grown man and we know he’s committed to helping us achieve our goals as a team,” Ha
zen said. “Those have been the conversations that we’ve had, from the time we first talked to him until very recently.”
Bumgarner told The Athletic he has been roping so long that “it’s just part of who you are,” learning the sport at age 15 or 16. He lives on a ranch in his home state of North Carolina and owns horses.
All guaranteed contracts include language prohibiting players from participating in dangerous activities. One such contract, shared by an agent with no connection to Bumgarner, listed “rodeo” and “horseback riding” under prohibited activities. It is not known whether Bumgarner's deal includes a similar clause.
Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement also includes a section in which players are said to agree not to engage in a variety of listed sports and activities “or other sport involving substantial risk of personal injury.”
Hazen said his understanding from reading the story in The Athletic is that Bumgarner hasn’t participated in rodeo events since the Diamondbacks signed him in mid-December.
“I don’t have comments on what guys would have done prior to being an Arizona Diamondback,” Hazen said.
Bumgarner is not known to have ever suffered an injury while roping, but he did miss three months midway through the 2017 season after hurting his shoulder in a dirt-bike accident on a team off day.
Hazen said the club was aware that Bumgarner was a “very strong horseman” prior to signing him but was unaware of his rodeo endeavors. He said the information wouldn’t have played a role in the club’s decision to sign him.
Recent baseball history includes a variety of examples of players who suffered injuries in off-field activities. In addition to Bumgarner, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ron Gant and San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent were hurt in motorcycle accidents.
New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes reportedly suffered an injury at his ranch last year after a run-in with a wild boar, prompting the sides to restructure the contract, reducing Cespedes’ guaranteed portion.
In 2004, the New York Yankees released Aaron Boone, who is now their manager, after he suffered a knee injury in a pickup basketball game.
Hazen was asked if he planned to talk to Bumgarner about his rodeo participation.
"I’m sure we’ll have conversations with him at various points in time," Hazen said. "All sorts of subjects come up, but the majority of our conversations have been centered around being ready to pitch this week."
Bumgarner is expected to make his first Cactus League start on Thursday at Salt River Fields against the Cincinnati Reds.