The San Francisco may have fallen short of winning their fourth World Series in seven years, but it had absolutely nothing to do with ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner.
The electrifying left-handed starter finished the 2016 campaign with a 15-9 record, 3.24 ERA and 1.024 WHIP in 34 starts. He then went on to give up just three earned runs in 14 postseason innings.
The 2014 playoff hero, now all of 27 years old, is set to become a free agent following the 2017 season.
It’s in this that the Giants don’t seem willing to let the generational talent hit the free-agent market.
Evans said he told Bum's agents "we're ready when you're ready" to talk extension. Evans talked to Bum personally.
— Henry Schulman BLUE CHECK MARK (@hankschulman) October 13, 2016
The Giants’ brass has to be prepared to line McCovey Cove with cash and let MadBum dive head first into it.
If the two sides were to come to terms on an extension this winter, it would likely make Bumgarner the highest-paid pitcher in the game.
That is to say, it would have to outpace the seven-year, $217 million deal David Price signed with the Boston Red Sox last winter. Pure conjecture here, Bumgarner’s potential new deal would also likely trump the $34.4 million Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zach Greinke is earning on an annual basis.