The Arizona Diamondbacks have become caught in a web of expensive choices and disappointing results in the high-stakes arena of Major League Baseball. Aiming to strengthen their bullpen, the franchise’s recent journey into the free-agent market has turned into a cautionary story of wasted cash and unfulfilled hopes. At the start, everything was smooth, but now it has left everyone scratching their head and thinking, what just happened?

The clubhouse approach was obvious: strengthen the pitching staff with experienced veterans to balance their frenetic attack. But the implementation has been complex. Three high-profile additions totaling a whopping $190 million have underperformed, prompting fans and experts to doubt the club’s direction. Has the investment of $190M just backfired on them?

An MLB insider spoke explicitly when assessing the Diamondbacks’ latest free-agent acquisitions. Emphasizing the large financial obligations to these pitchers and the disappointing results. Bob Nightengale from USA Today called the Diamondbacks’ investment “nothing short of horrendous.” He wrote, “The Diamondbacks’ recent track record of signing front-line free agent starters has been nothing short of horrendous. They blew $85 million on Madison Bumgarner, $52.5 million on Jordan Montgomery, and now their four-year, $80 million contract with Eduardo Rodriguez has looked brutal.” But why did he say this? Although Montgomery’s contract is for $25M, a typo error might have happened, which happens all the time. It doesn’t mean what he said was also an error; he has a solid point.

He also solidified his point by stating Rodriguez’s stats: “He has made 18 starts since signing the deal in Dec. 2023, and has gone 4-7 with a 6.06 ERA, lasting just 90 ⅔ innings with a 1.58 WHIP.”

Madison Bumgarner played his last game for the D-backs in 2023, but before that, the $85M was not worth it. His declining performance and the Diamondbacks’ changing competitive goals led to Bumgarner’s DFA in 2023. He started four times in the 2023 season before being assigned for designation. Over 16.2 innings were thrown, and he had a 10.26 ERA and a 0-3 record. Over this time, he permitted 19 earned runs, walked 15 people, and struck out 10, achieving a WHIP of 2.40.

In 2024, Jordan Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million contract with the Diamondbacks. Over 117 innings, he has a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP that season. Montgomery was scheduled for a bullpen position in 2025 but felt shoulder discomfort during spring training. This resulted in the choice to have Tommy John surgery, which would keep him out for the whole 2025 season.

While the performance of Eduardo Rodriguez? Oh, it has been a tremendous mess in itself, and against the Dodgers, he was brutally crushed by the hitters. And for the D-backs? The problems are not fading away anytime soon.

Diamondbacks’ rotation in turmoil

Eduardo Rodriguez’s most recent showing vs the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 9, 2025, has drawn more attention to his part in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ rotation. Rodriguez gave up eight earned runs on nine hits in only 2.2 innings, nine of which were over 100 mph. His early departure raised his ERA to 7.30 and highlighted continuing problems by leaving the bases loaded. This performance broke the team’s recent pattern of good starting pitching and drew attention to questions about Rodríguez’s on-the-mound performance.

Besides the numbers, Rodriguez’s apparent lack of hustle during vital moments angered management and supporters. He put little effort into fielding a Chris Taylor bunt and neglected to back up home plate on a run-scoring play. The reaction from the man in charge? Manager Torey Lovullo was unhappy with Rodriguez’s performance and said, “A little.”

The Diamondbacks changed their roster in reaction to the team’s pitching issues, bringing left-hander Joe Mantiply back from Triple-A Reno and optioning right-hander Cristian Mena. Though moved down to guarantee bullpen freshness, Mena had thrown 3.2 scoreless relief innings, which was rather good. A former All-Star, Mantiply had battled earlier in the season with a 15.95 ERA but showed progress in Reno, recording a 3.00 ERA over six appearances. The change seeks to strengthen the bullpen in light of continuous rotation problems.

The possible comeback of reliever Kendall Graveman, who is looking forward, provides some hope. Recovering from a back issue, Graveman has had solid rehab appearances with Triple-A Reno, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings across three outings. Manager Lovullo said he was hopeful about Graveman’s fitness as he has “He’s checked a lot of the boxes and he’s getting very close,” to returning to the major league team. A bullpen looking for consistency can find much-needed steadiness in his comeback.