There’s a new sheriff in town in San Francisco and he’s looking to potentially put his stamp on the Giants.
According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, the Giants are open to moving ace starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner.
“Multiple sources indicated Monday that the Giants are willing to engage with other teams about the possibility of dealing their ace and three-time World Series champion,” Morosi reported Monday evening.
The report goes on to name the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves as possibilities for the former World Series MVP.
If a trade of this ilk were to go down, it would be new front office head Farhan Zaidi’s first major move since joining the Giants’ organization from the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bumgarner, 29, boasts a base salary of just $12 million in 2019 and is set to become a free agent the following winter. That type of contract coupled with his Hall of Fame resume would seemingly make the market for Bumgarner’s services very active. In turn, it could help the Giants replenish a bad farm system while they look to rebuild.
The 29-year-old Bumgarner pitched to a 6-7 record with a 3.26 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 24 starts this past season. It was his second consecutive season missing substantial time to injury.
Even then, a player of this ilk hitting the trade market before his 30th birthday will draw a ton of attention.