The Giants have promised change this upcoming offseason.
Trades, free-agent signings and everything in between could be on the way after back-to-back disappointing seasons. The biggest change, though, would be the loss of left-handed team legend Madison Bumgarner.
Make no mistake, however -- the Giants and Bumgarner, whose contract ends after the 2019 season, already are having open discussions.
"We'll talk during the offseason. I had a nice conversation with him, and I'm not going to be the one that's making the deal or making the baseball evaluation," Giants CEO Larry Baer said Thursday night on KNBR. "But we had a good chat last week in the clubhouse."
Bumgarner has spent his entire MLB career with the Giants after making his debut at 19 years old in 2009. He also recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that he hopes to spend his entire career in San Francisco.
Baer is on the same page as Bumgarner, but he's also trying to be realistic with how the Giants are trending.
"Somebody of his impact in this organziation deserves every consideration," Baer said. "Having said that, we have to see how this team comes together and where we are. This decision is not just a 2019 decision, but a decision that goes way beyond 2019 potentially."
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Despite entering the last season of his seven-year contract, Bumgarner, who turns 30 next August, certainly would bring back the greatest return in a trade. The veteran lefty still is a premium arm, plus the Giants badly need to upgrade their farm system.
"Maybe we sign him before Opening Day next season, maybe we don't. If we don't, the hope is a trade is the last thing on your mind becasuse you're competing for a title," Baer said.
Either the Giants will rock the boat and the whole Bay Area by shipping off Bumgarner, or Baer sees some odd-year magic in the future.
