Farhan Zaidi opened his tenure as the Giants' president of baseball operations saying "everything has to be on the table" when it comes to reshaping the roster -- including a trade of franchise face Madison Bumgarner.
That trade might not come right away, however.
The Giants reportedly are "becoming less and less likely" to trade the left-handed ace, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday, citing a league source.
A source said it is becoming less and less likely that the Giants will trade Madison Bumgarner this winter, though it still can't be ruled out. A midseason trade seems more likely if the Giants are not in contention, the source said.— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 12, 2018
This is in keeping with many recent reports about the star pitcher.
Zaidi told KNBR last week that some of the speculation surrounding Bumgarner was inaccurate, noting that one of the teams linked to the left-hander texted him saying, "Hey, I hear we're talking to you guys about Madison Bumgarner. Should we be?" ESPN's Buster Olney reported last month that some around the game didn't believe the Giants "would seriously entertain and weigh offers" for the 2014 World Series MVP.
Sports
Bumgarner can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so it makes sense the Giants would explore what kind of return they can get in a trade rather than risk losing him for nothing next winter. Along with Chris Sale, Bumgarner is set to headline next summer's free-agent class, and a contender wanting a glimpse at the lefty still could give the Giants the return they're looking for this summer -- assuming San Francisco is out of contention and/or can't work out a contract extension with him.
So, Giants fans might not need to sit on pins and needles for the rest of the 2018 MLB Winter Meetings, sweating out a possible trade of one of the team's most popular players. The start of spring training, however, is another story entirely.
