The least-remembered D-back of 2024
Overview
- Rating: 2.25
- 2024 stats (AZ only): 4 G, 6.2 IP, 6.23 ERA, 4.82 FIP, 1.500 WHIP, -0.1 bWAR
- Date of birth: May 31, 1991 (age 33 season)
- 2024 earnings: $925,000
- 2025 status: Free agent
2024 overview
“You get to a new org and things are slightly different, and sometimes you want to do what the org values. And you try to turn yourself into that. I think realizing what your individual identity is, is sort of something that I’ve learned.” — Matt Bowman
Oliver Drake is officially in the Guinness Book of World Records, for his 2018 season in which the pitcher played at the major-league level for the Brewers, Indians, Angels, Blue Jays and Twins. Matt Bowman didn’t quite join him, but certainly gave it the good ol’ college try, playing for four different teams, one short of Drake’s record. Indeed, I’ve heard rumors that Bowman’s transaction log since being signed by the Mets in 2012, has been optioned by Peter Jackson for a possible trilogy of movies. Here are the most important of the entries for 2024, as he criss-crossed the country from Baltimore to Seattle. I think he needs to change his name to Matt Bowman-Elected-Free-Agency, purely for the lulz.
- January 24 – Minnesota Twins signed free agent RHP Matt Bowman to a minor league contract.
- April 30 – Minnesota Twins designated RHP Matt Bowman for assignment.
- May 2 – Minnesota Twins traded RHP Matt Bowman to Arizona Diamondbacks for cash.
- May 26 – Arizona Diamondbacks designated RHP Matt Bowman for assignment.
- May 31 – RHP Matt Bowman elected free agency.
- June 4 – RHP Matt Bowman assigned to Seattle Mariners.
- June 11 – Seattle Mariners designated RHP Matt Bowman for assignment.
- July 1 – RHP Matt Bowman elected free agency.
- July 4 – Minnesota Twins signed free agent RHP Matt Bowman to a minor league contract.
- August 12 – St. Paul Saints released RHP Matt Bowman.
- August 15 – Baltimore Orioles signed free agent RHP Matt Bowman to a minor league contract.
- November 4 – RHP Matt Bowman elected free agency.
He had spent almost four years out of the majors in 2020-23, including recovery from Tommy John surgery in September 2020. But he got a cup of coffee with Yankees in September 2023 and parlayed that into a minor-league contract with Minnesota. He was called up by the Twins in mid-April, but was the victim of a roster crunch and, with no minor-league options left, was DFA’d at the end of the month. The D-backs pounced, working out a trade for the right-hander in exchange for an undisclosed amount of money. Bowman went straight onto our 26-man roster, and made his Arizona debut against San Diego on May 3rd.
He made three further appearances, mostly in mop-up long relief, the average margin when he entered the game being more than five runs. All told, he allowed eight hits and two walks over his six innings. The worst was in a 13-0 drubbing by the Tigers, where Bowman gave up five runs over two innings. On May 26th, the team decided to go with lefty Blake Walston in the role instead, and with Bowman out of options as mentioned, he was DFA’d. While he cleared waivers, Matt had enough service time to reject the assignment to Reno, and did so, becoming a free-agent instead. Over the rest of the season, he was part of the Mariners, Twins (again) and Orioles organizations. All told, he had a reasonable 4.40 ERA over 30.2 IP.
However, that did not stop him from being the most forgotten Diamondback of the year, although there were four pitchers to throw fewer innings. When we had our traditional Sporcle, asking you to name all those who played for Arizona in 2024, he came in 51st and last, being listed by only 16.5% of participants. I can’t honestly say I’m surprised, not least because his time with the team was done by the end of May, and was hardly memorable when he was here. Or anywhere else. At the end of the post-season, the Orioles sent him through waivers and nobody bit. Bowman elected free agency on Monday.
2025 outlook
He’ll be looking for a position again this winter, and I can imagine him getting another minor-league contract. While the major-league numbers were nothing special, he had a 1.87 ERA over 33.2 minor-league innings, with a 41:9 K:BB ratio. That’ll get some interest, though it’s going to be more as a depth piece, since the odds seem against him making anyone’s Opening Day roster. Matt will turn 34 in May, so the end of the road for his time on the mound is likely on the horizon. But with a degree in economics from Princeton (he did his thesis on WAR!), I imagine Bowman will have a decent shot at some kind of post-baseball career in the finance industry.