If this is the end of the road for Matt Bush, he deserves some credit for being able to turn his life amidst substance abuse issues and salvage a pretty respectable MLB career. But, he almost never got the chance. And many would argue that he shouldn’t have.
The 37-year-old Bush, more known for his time with the Texas Rangers, was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers after allowing three runs in the team’s 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, including a two-run walk-off home run to Carlos Santana.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft struggled in his brief stint with Milwaukee. Bush went 0-4 with a 5.94 ERA and three saves in 38 appearances for the Brewers and posted just a 9.58 ERA in 12 games (10 ⅓ innings) this season after missing just shy of two months because of tendinitis in his right rotator cuff.
Acquired from the Rangers at last year’s trade deadline, Bush saw a steep drop off in his numbers, while seeing his velocity decrease and his home runs allowed increase. It’s unlikely that Bush will be claimed on DFA waivers, but if a team chooses to take a gamble on him, they’ll be on the hook for the remaining $925k that he’s due this season.
A former farmhand of the San Diego Padres, Bush only played as high as Double-A, before he officially made his MLB debut in 2016. Bush wasn’t the first choice of the Padres, but they refused to match the signing bonus demanded by Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver, who were both represented by Scott Boras. Each enjoyed more successful careers than Bush, who surprisingly outlasted both of their MLB careers.
A few weeks after being drafted by the Padres, he was arrested on suspicion of felony assault, disorderly conduct and underage drinking, after he allegedly fought with security trying to escort him out of a bar.
Those weren’t the only issues that plagued Bush, who was involved in a handful of legal and personal issues, that involved him assaulting two freshman lacrosse players and throwing a baseball at a woman’s head, both of these incidents effectively ended his tenure(s) with the Padres and then Toronto Blue Jays. The Tampa Bay Rays later took a chance on Bush, but he was released by the organization after a drunk driving incident, in which he ran over a 72-year-old motorist’s head. He served 39 months in state prison, with this not being his first DUI offense.
Following his release from prison, Bush signed with the Rangers after tryouts at a Golden Corral parking lot. Thus was the only place Bush could work out due to his post-release restrictions, as he could only travel to and from his job at Golden Corral.
After a history of substance abuse issues, Bush was able to get sober and enjoyed a successful Major League career with the Rangers. Perhaps this is the end of the road for Bush, who probably thought his career was over long before being given chances by Texas and Milwaukee.