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San Francisco Giants: Possible trade partners for Madison Bumgarner

By Benjamin Chase

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 28: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after the Giants got the final out of the sixth inning, in which the Arizona Diamondbacks had the bases loaded but were unable to score, at AT&T Park on August 28, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 28: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after the Giants got the final out of the sixth inning, in which the Arizona Diamondbacks had the bases loaded but were unable to score, at AT&T Park on August 28, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco Giants
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 13: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) looks on from the dugout during a MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 13, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

A recent article mentioned the idea that the San Francisco Giants could move their burly ace. Where would he fit?

While the San Francisco Giants are out of contention for 2018 at this point, they really haven’t looked ahead to 2019 quite yet, though one major decision will be their ace. Could they end up moving Madison Bumgarner this offseason?

In a recent Buster Olney article, he suggested that the Giants should strongly consider such a move, and while that could definitely lead to a public relations hit, it could be the best thing for the team in the long-run.

Why would the San Francisco Giants do it?

The San Francisco Giants pushed all the chips to the center of the table this offseason. They acquired Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria to go with a core that already included Buster Posey, Bumgarner, and Johnny Cueto. However, injuries and poor performance led to the Giants not performing to their capabilities.

The big issue staring the Giants right in the face is an absolute lack of payroll flexibility. Before they even decide whether or not to pick up MadBum’s team option, they already have seven players scheduled to make 8 figures in salary in 2019. Once Bumgarner’s option is picked up, the Giants have just short of $137 million dedicated to 8 players. With a likely luxury salary cap of $195-200 million, the Giants are already going to be unable to really add any players to their roster after arbitration moves are made.

These deals are not done after 2019 either….except for Bumgarner. His contract will be up after 2019, and it’s pretty easy to imagine he’ll at least double his salary going forward starting in 2020, and he will just be 30 when he signs.

The Giants need many pieces to have a chance to compete again in a division where the Rockies have a tremendous young pitching core, the Padres have the best farm system in the game, the Dodgers have plenty of cash to supplement a team that’s already one of the deepest in the game, and the Diamondbacks are competing again for the division title this season and are not going anywhere.

The issue is that the Giants do not have the financial flexibility to get those pieces and their farm system is one of the worst, if not the worst, farm systems in the entire league. It may be time to blow some things up and make some moves. Bumgarner would be the guy who could bring back the best return this winter.

Where would they find the best suitor, though?

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