Madison Bumgarner isn’t interested in playing for the Boston Red Sox, but don’t go calling him a “loser” just yet.
The San Francisco Giants pitcher, who is in the final year of his deal and has a full no-trade clause, could be one of the hottest names on the market if the Giants are out of contention by late July. And should the Giants eventually decide to move the ace left-hander, the Red Sox reportedly won’t be in the running.
Check out this report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal:
Madison Bumgarner’s eight-team no-trade list, per sources:#Braves#RedSox#Cubs#Astros#Brewers#Yankees#Phillies#STLCards
Bumgarner chose teams strategically; list comprised solely of contenders that might want to acquire him from #SFGiants, not teams he wants to avoid.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
That said, #SFGiants’ Bumgarner should be motivated to approve a trade: Any potential free agent traded in middle of season is ineligible for qualifying offer and exempt from draft-pick comp. List, however, gives him measure of control – if, say, he prefers #Braves to #Phillies.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
Translation: Bumgarner has nothing against the Red Sox, nor the seven other teams on his list. This is all about leverage and control for a 29-year-old pitcher set to enter free agency.
Here’s some additional context from Rosenthal:
Further explanation on Bumgarner: Players include contenders on their no-trade list to gain leverage if a trade agreement is reached, NOT because they have no interest in winning.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
More context on Bumgarner: His contract allows him to reject trades to eight teams. The eight I reported are the ones he can block. He can still approve trades to those teams, but generally players want some form of compensation to waive their no-trade protection.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
Bumgarner’s résumé is impressive, to say the least. He’s a four-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and a World Series MVP. The North Carolina native is 112-87 with a 3.06 ERA in 263 career appearances (260 starts).
This season, Bumgarner is just 2-4 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts for the Giants, who are 16-22 and in last place in the National League West.
