San Francisco Giants

With hours remaining before the MLB trade deadline passes at 4 p.m. ET, the New York Yankees and Houston Astros continue to express interest in San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Bumgarner, who's a free agent at the end of the year, is 6-7 with a 3.74 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 23 appearances, per FanGraphs.

SNY's Andy Martino reported the Yankees—while considering Bumgarner a trade target—"don't love the current version" of him, which limits what they'd surrender to acquire him.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported something similar regarding the Astros, casting doubt they'd send Kyle Tucker to San Francisco to get Bumgarner. As a result, Houston is focusing more on New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler.

The Giants are in a clear position to cash in on Bumgarner's trade value. The New York Mets added Marcus Stroman, while the Cincinnati Reds confirmed Wednesday they got Trevor Bauer in a three-team deal involving the Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres.

With two of the best pitchers off the board, selling teams can place a premium on the players still available.

Despite how the Yankees view him, Bumgarner is enjoying a productive 2019. He's averaging 9.02 strikeouts and 1.87 walks per nine innings, both of which are a clear improvement over 2018 (7.57 strikeouts, 2.98 walks).

San Francisco could surely land a nice asset or two in return for the four-time All-Star in his last year under contract.

The final decision could be out of the team's hands, however, since Bumgarner has spent his entire 11-year MLB career with the Giants and was an integral piece during their three most recent World Series runs.

1 theory I have heard a lot from other teams (not #SFGiants) is that Bumgarner means so much to franchise that SFG have to let him be part of such tough decision: does he want to stay or go to a more sure playoff team plus remove the qualifying offer possibility if traded #theory

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 31, 2019

The #SFGiants say its too close of a call this morning to know whether Madison Bumgarner is staying or going. They continue to listen to offers. They have such respect for Bumgarner, he could be brought in as part of the conversation as well.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2019

In almost any other situation, you'd bet the house Bumgarner would have a new home by the end of the day.

Considering that time is running out before the deadline, the likelihood of Bumgarner getting dealt is quickly diminishing.

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The San Francisco Giants are reportedly having "sell conversations" surrounding their pitchers, a group led by longtime ace Madison Bumgarner, ahead of Wednesday's MLB trade deadline despite a recent hot streak that has pushed them back into playoff contention.

Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported the update.

Bumgarner is no longer the dominant force he was during the peak of his career, which featured four consecutive seasons with an ERA below 3.00. He owns a 3.74 ERA so far in 2019, but he'd still provide a boost to the rotation of any postseason contender.

The 29-year-old North Carolina native has posted a 2.11 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 16 playoff appearances (14 starts). He was named the 2014 World Series MVP for the Giants' triumph over the Kansas City Royals. He pitched five shutout innings of relief for the save in Game 7.

"I don't give a s--t," he told reporters about the trade rumors in mid-July. "I'm here to win games for this team, and that's what we're doing."

Fellow starter Jeff Samardzija and relievers Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson are among the other veteran pitchers that may attract interest from other clubs.

Samardzija has rebounded from a forgettable 2018 season with a 6.25 ERA across 10 starts to put together a solid 2019. He's compiled a 3.95 ERA in 21 outings with 102 strikeouts in 116.1 innings.

Meanwhile, just about every contender is looking for bullpen help, and the Giants are one of the few teams with excess depth in that area. They should be able to acquire quite a haul of prospects even by moving just two players from the group of Smith, Watson and Dyson.

San Francisco is just 2.5 games out of the second wild-card spot in the National League, though. So the front office could still look to seriously compete this year if the right trade offers don't come along today.

After spending most of the season being talked about as sellers, the San Francisco Giants are entertaining the possibility of giving Madison Bumgarner a contract extension. 

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Giants haven't ruled out extending Bumgarner, but they also "recognize it may be a long shot" and no talks have been had between the two sides. 

It's looking more likely that the Giants won't deal Bumgarner prior to the July 31 trade deadline. 

Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Giants are "all but certain" to retain the four-time All-Star for the rest of the season and could become buyers if their weekend series against the San Diego Padres is successful. 

San Francisco has had a dramatic turnaround after looking like an afterthought in the National League. The team was 12 games under .500 as recently as June 29 but has since won 17 of the past 21 games. 

Bumgarner has lowered his ERA from 4.20 to 3.66 in 12 starts since May 23. He has 70 strikeouts and 66 hits allowed in 70.2 innings during that span. The 29-year-old is in the final season of his current contract and can become a free agent this winter. 

The Giants enter Friday with a 52-51 record, tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for second in the NL West and 3.5 games behind for the No. 2 wild-card spot.

Add another team to the Matthew Boyd sweepstakes. 

Earlier this month, the San Francisco Giants were widely regarded as sellers ahead of MLB's July 31 trade deadline. 

Then the Giants won 11 of 14 to start the second half of the season to give them a 52-51 record, and MLB Network's Jon Morosi relayed a report Thursday that paints them as potential buyers. 

According to Morosi, the Giants had "a high-level scout" to watch Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd's start on Tuesday. 

"According to a source with knowledge of the team's plans, the Giants are poised to become buyers if they're still in the thick of the National League Wild Card race come Monday," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand added in a separate report, "and it's all but certain ace lefty Madison Bumgarner will not be traded, regardless of how the weekend goes."

Boyd's name has been circulating in the trade rumor mill. On July 11, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News linked the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays among teams "tracking" the 28-year-old southpaw. 

Unlike the surging Giants, the Tigers are 30-67 and in need of a rebuild. 

Boyd is an appealing trade chip as he will remain under team control through 2022. 

From a production standpoint, Boyd is enjoying the best season of his career since entering the major leagues in 2015. His underwhelming 6-8 record aside, Boyd has a 4.07 ERA and 1.135 WHIP along with an American League-leading 6.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

Additionally, per FanGraphs, Boyd's 12.00 strikeout per nine innings average ranks fourth in MLB behind Gerrit Cole, Chris Sale and Max Scherzer. 

However, all of this does not mean Boyd is certainly on the move. Morosi reported Wednesday that the Tigers "remain uncertain" on whether to deal him and added that the organization's front office has "maintained a high asking price." 

Other teams actively linked to Boyd are the Philadelphia Phillies, according to NBC's Jim Salisbury, and the New York Yankees, though NJ.com's Mike Rosenstein reported earlier Thursday that Boyd's asking price "might be too high" for New York.

The San Francisco Giants are "unlikely" to trade ace Madison Bumgarner prior to the July 31 trade deadline following their recent surge and could be buyers if their hot streak continues through the weekend, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

San Francisco (52-51) has gone 17-4 over its last 21 games to not only move above .500 for the first time this season but to put itself in playoff contention as well. The Giants are currently just 3.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race.

Taken 10th overall in 2007, Bumgarner has spent his entire career with the Giants organization. He is nearing the end of a five-year, $35 million deal, one of the most team-friendly contracts in MLB history.

As San Francisco got off to slow start to the season, it appeared as Bumgarner's days in the Bay Area were numbered. The 29-year-old is scheduled to hit free agency at the conclusion of the season, and with the Giants entering the year in the midst of a two-year playoff drought, dealing the veteran would allow the franchise to get something in return instead of solely a compensation draft pick should a qualifying offer be extended.

Bumgarner is putting together another solid campaign, having posted a 3.66 ERA and a 1.168 WHIP in 22 starts in 2019. He has struck out 134 batters in 132.2 innings, while his 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings is his highest mark since 2016.

The southpaw has played a major role in his team's summer surge, as he has allowed just six runs (five earned) in four starts in July. He has allowed more than three earned runs in a start just twice since the beginning of May, spanning 16 starts.

As good as Bumgarner has been during the regular season (3.08 ERA) throughout his career, he has elevated his game when the stakes are highest. He is 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA in 16 career postseason outings, helping the Giants win three World Series titles. He was named MVP of both the National League Championship Series and the World Series in 2014.

If Bumgarner does become available before the deadline, that type of big-game experience would make him the most-coveted asset on the market.

San Francisco's recent surge has certainly put the team in an interesting spot as the deadline nears. Buying would potentially increase the team's chances of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016. On the flip side, it has played .810 baseball for nearly a month and is still on the outside of the playoff picture—and keeping up that pace down the stretch is near impossible.

Bumgarner is scheduled to pitch against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. His performance could go a long way in determining the Giants' deadline approach, and ultimately, his future with the team.

With the MLB trade deadline approaching Wednesday, all is rather quiet around the league. 

Much of that is to do with teams that were once thought to be sellers being on the rise in mid-July and are forcing themselves back into the playoff race.

The San Francisco Giants, for instance, have won 11 of their past 14 games and trail the National League Wild Card by 2.5 games.

In the American League, the Cleveland Indians are 9-4 since the All-Star break and are not only two games ahead in the wild-card race, but they also entered Wednesday night trailing the Minnesota Twins by 2.5 games in the NL Central.

That's not to say they still won't sell—although the Giants are more likely to change their minds—but it has slowed the market down.

Here are some of the top names and the latest rumors around them.

                  

Madison Bumgarner

The Giants have a major decision to make on Madison Bumgarner after several teams had scouts watch the southpaw pitch Tuesday, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

There are a horde of scouts from virtually every contender coming into town to see Madison Bumgarner and #SFGiants tonight. The Giants still plan to listen to all offers for Bumgarner before deciding whether to move him, closer Will Smith or other relievers instead, or no one.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 23, 2019

Nightengale added that if the Giants were to move forward with trading the 29-year-old, it may not go over so well in the clubhouse.

The left-hander, who is 5-7 with a 3.66 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched, has a no-trade clause for eight contending teams, but he could waive it so that he would no longer be subject to a qualifying offer this winter when he becomes a free agent.

It also would not hurt his free-agency value if he were to pitch well in October. 

Prediction: Stays with Giants.

                

Marcus Stroman

Marcus Stroman may be the best pitcher who gets moved at the deadline.

With the Toronto Blue Jays well out of any sort of playoff race, it makes the most sense to deal their most valuable assets.

The 28-year-old made his first All-Star team this season—but did not play because of an injury—and has a 3.06 ERA despite a 6-10 record. He also isn't a free agent until after the 2020 season, meaning anyone who trades for him will have him for all of next year too, making his value that much higher.

Stroman, a Long Island native, has previously seemed to prefer joining the New York Yankees, but that may be difficult considering the two teams play in the same division and the price tag will be higher.

The Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves have also inquired about the right-hander, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. 

Prediction: Traded to Braves.

            

Mike Minor

With the Texas Rangers stuck at .500 entering Wednesday night, it is likely they will sell, and Mike Minor is having the kind of season that could give his team some good value in return.

Although the 31-year-old did not pitch well Wednesday afternoon, allowing five earned runs over six innings, his ERA is still at 3.00 for the season.

Like Stroman, Minor has another year before he is free-agent eligible. Two teams who have been linked to him include the Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network:

Sources: Mike Minor is increasingly likely to be traded in the next two weeks, as I reported a short time ago on @MLBNetwork. The #Brewers and #Phillies are among the interested teams, although there’s no indication that a deal is close. @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 17, 2019

Prediction: Traded to Phillies.

                

Robbie Ray

The Arizona Diamondbacks are another team in an interesting position.

They entered Wednesday night just three games out of the NL Wild Card, but general manager Mike Hazen made some interesting comments Monday about not being World Series contenders:

Mike Hazen doesn't sound convinced into buying: "The belief that a .500 team is going to win the World Series, get through the wild-card format that we have and win the World Series is, I don’t think objectively that’s a position we should be staking ourselves to."

— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) July 22, 2019

It seems Hazen has already decided to sell, and Robbie Ray would be one of the team's more coveted players.

Per Morosi, the New York Yankees have contacted the D-backs about the 27-year-old. Arizona has also been scouting New York's Single-A games, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post.

Ray, a left-hander with a 3.95 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 123 innings, would be an ideal fit for the Yankees. 

Prediction: Traded to Yankees.

Life was so much simpler when the San Francisco Giants were a last-place dud headed for an inevitable fire sale. Suffice it to say that things are more complicated now.

But because somebody has to say, "Screw it: The Giants should sell at the trade deadline anyway," here goes nothing.

Screw it: The Giants should sell at the trade deadline anyway.

It's an awkward time to say as much because of how the Giants have split the 103 games they've played:

• First 82 G: 35-47 with a minus-95 run differential
• Last 21 G: 17-4 with a plus-52 run differential

As that run differential indicates, the Giants haven't exactly lucked their way into 17 wins in their last 21 games. Their pitching has put up a 3.64 ERA while their offense has exploded for 6.5 runs per game. 

San Francisco has recently been specializing in clutch hitting with four walk-off wins in its last seven games. The most recent of those came Tuesday when Pablo Sandoval ended a 13-inning contest against the Chicago Cubs with a home run to left field:

This was the fifth career walk-off hit for @KFP48.
@BankofAmerica | #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/Z1jLqaPu4t

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 24, 2019

All the Giants' winning hasn't been for naught. They've climbed from last place to second place in the National League West and to within three games of the NL's second wild-card spot.

In short, they're suddenly contenders on the eve of the July 31 trade deadline. That hypothetically puts the kibosh on deals for ace starter Madison Bumgarner, relief aces Will Smith, Sam Dyson and Tony Watson and utility infielder Pablo Sandoval.

For their part, those guys don't sound like they're itching to go anywhere.

"We're on a roll," Sandoval said after Tuesday's win, per Maria Guardado of MLB.com. "We try to do our best out there. We want to win games and go out there and fight every inning."

And Bumgarner: "I feel like everybody knew we were going to win. It was just, when is it going to happen? This is probably the best stretch I've ever been a part of."

For these Giants, there's more than just good vibrations pushing against a massive sell-off ahead of next week's deadline. 

Between Bumgarner, Sandoval, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Joe Panik, quite a few stars from World Series winners in 2010, 2012 and 2014 are still around. They're also still managed by future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy, but only through the end of this season. Clearly, now is the time for a last hurrah.

But is what's going on now truly a last hurrah? Or is it merely a last gasp?

This is, after all, a team that unceremoniously crumbled with a 172-234 record between the start of 2017 and June 29 of this season. And as MLB.com's Mike Petriello (using figures from FanGraphs) noted Monday, the last few weeks have done little to improve their playoff odds:

The Giants still aren't going to make the playoffs, but their odds chart is at least fun to look at now: pic.twitter.com/sUMpJ7P1i4

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) July 22, 2019

The good news is that the Giants' odds of making the postseason have improved since then. The less good news is that they've only gone up to 6.7 percent.

And that's just to make the playoffs, period. To make it as far as the National League Division Series, the Giants' odds are 2.8 percent. To win that round? Just 0.8 percent. To win the National League Championship Series? Only 0.3 percent.

The World Series? Try 0.1 percent.

This is where the Giants might be inclined to be the Han Solo to our C-3PO and deny the odds altogether. After all, being underdogs suited them just fine when they won it all in '10, '12 and '14.

But unlike in those three seasons, the straightest path to the NLDS is all but cut off. The Giants are saddled with a 14.5-game deficit to a buzzsaw of a Los Angeles Dodgers team in the NL West. That gives them little recourse but to fight for a playoff berth that would only guarantee them a single game.

There's also the reality that not a single one of the aforementioned veterans is still in his prime. That ought to raise questions about the sustainability of the nice runs Bumgarner, Posey and Crawford, in particular, have been on lately.

Elsewhere on the topic of sustainability, guys such as Alex Dickerson, Austin Slater, Donovan Solano and Mike Yastrzemski have had a lot to do with the Giants' offensive surge. Solano is a 31-year-old who didn't even play in the majors in 2017 or 2018. The other three are 20-somethings enjoying either post-hype breakouts or well-timed 15 minutes.

Granted, the Giants can look forward to getting third baseman Evan Longoria and right-hander Johnny Cueto off the injured list. Yet they're two more post-prime stars, and neither is recovering from a minor injury. Longoria is out with plantar fasciitis. Cueto is coming off Tommy John surgery.

If the Giants do let the trade deadline pass without any subtractions from their major league roster, they'll effectively be putting all their chips on a house of cards. And in so doing, they will have passed by a chance to cement a foundation for something better in the not-too-distant future.

Especially in light of the extra leverage they've gained over the last few weeks, it's high time for the Giants to cash in Bumgarner, Smith, Sandoval and potentially Watson (who has a player option for 2020) before free agency beckons this winter.

The Giants don't have to move Dyson, yet they should be able to sell high on his excellent work over the last two seasons. They might also dangle Posey, Belt and Crawford, who are getting no less expensive as they get older.

The Giants absolutely need the young talent these guys could bring back. We have their farm system ranked at No. 22 out of Major League Baseball's 30 organizations.

Moreover, its best players—e.g. catcher Joey Bart, outfielder Heliot Ramos and shortstop Marco Luciano—are in the lower levels of the minors. Sans any new blood in the next week, it figures to take years for the Giants to squeeze a core of homegrown stars out of their system.

On the bright side, this is where a compromise may be possible.

In a recent interview with Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi expressed a desire to "manage a transition and continue to compete." He might indeed have it both ways if he can flip the team's top trade chips for MLB-ready players who would be under the team's control well beyond 2019.

Such a strategy would certainly make the Giants an even longer shot for October. But if a team is going to be a longshot either way, it's better to be one that might be back to finish the job later if it doesn't get it done now.

Failing that, the Giants could lean into a now-or-never scenario in which the "never" is overwhelmingly favored over the "now." Maybe that sounds like a good time. But if it doesn't end well, it won't be worth the long hangover that would follow.

                      

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The San Francisco Giants are on a hot streak led by clutch hitting. The Giants have three walk-off wins in the last five games. Watch the video above for all of the statistics.

   

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The San Francisco Giants may have played themselves out of being sellers ahead of the trade deadline.

They're the hottest team in baseball, having won 16 of their past 19 games to get back into the wild-card picture. And according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, that hot streak has also made them unlikely to deal starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner:

Few see MadBum going anywhere now. Things can change in a hurry but this is typical from rival exec: “No way Giants can sell, they’re on fire.”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 23, 2019

The Giants reportedly will at least entertain offers for Bumgarner and other players, however:

There are a horde of scouts from virtually every contender coming into town to see Madison Bumgarner and #SFGiants tonight. The Giants still plan to listen to all offers for Bumgarner before deciding whether to move him, closer Will Smith or other relievers instead, or no one.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 23, 2019

Source: #Rays, #SFGiants have been in contact regarding Giants relievers. Giants may move a reliever and keep Bumgarner after recent surge, especially if deal is need-for-need at @MLB level. Joey Wendle or Michael Brosseau would help SF infield. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2019

While the Giants have no chance of winning the NL West—they're 15.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers—they are firmly in the wild-card chase. 

If the postseason began today, the Washington Nationals (52-46) and St. Louis Cardinals (52-47) would earn the two National League wild-card berths. Hot on their heels, however, are the Philadelphia Phillies (52-48), Milwaukee Brewers (53-49), Giants (51-50) and Arizona Diamondbacks (51-50).

Both the Giants and Diamondbacks are two games behind the Cardinals, who are pretty hot themselves, having won eight of their last 10. 

Based on how tight that wild-card chase is, the Giants have little incentive to sell, especially given how legendary Bumgarner has been in the postseason during his career.

In 14 postseason starts (and 16 overall appearances), he's 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 87 strikeouts and a save in 102.1 innings. He is a three-time champion and the 2014 World Series MVP. 

The four-time All-Star is having a solid—if unspectacular—2019 season, at least by his own standards, going 5-7 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 125.2 innings. But in October, Bumgarner always has the potential to carry the Giants to an improbable run through the postseason.

He will be a free agent after this season, which sparked the trade rumors in the first place. But the Giants will have options if they keep Bumgarner in San Francisco.

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote: "One executive suggests the Giants could stay intact and then make both Bumgarner and closer Will Smith qualifying offers—the worst that could happen is that Smith would accept and they would overpay him for one season while retaining him as a potential trade asset."

And given San Francisco's recent surge and an excellent bullpen that could play a huge factor down the stretch, they have little reason to trade their 29-year-old ace. The Giants should consider being buyers and adding another big bat to their lineup instead.

The San Francisco Giants' recent resurgence reportedly won't impact their plan to be dealing assets leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Madison Bumgarner and all of the Giants relievers remain available to teams interested in adding to their pitching staffs. 

Passan noted the Giants "tried to jump the deadline" by shopping Bumgarner in June, but "nothing substantive came of that" and interested teams think a deal will come closer to July 31. 

There are currently 17 teams in both leagues either in the playoffs or within 3.5 games of a playoff spot. 

The Giants are included in that group because they have put themselves back into postseason contention with 12 wins in their last 15 games. Going into Wednesday's game, they were only three games out of the second National League wild-card spot, despite being three games under .500 (46-49). 

Bumgarner is the biggest name of the potential trade candidates because of his previous postseason heroics. The 29-year-old has been solid this season with a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 ERA but doesn't look like the dominant ace he was in his prime. 

Closer Will Smith could be the most sought-after player on the Giants. He's a left-handed reliever with a 2.75 ERA with 56 strikeouts and nine walks in 39.1 innings.

Sam Dyson has a 2.74 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 46 innings. He's also under team control for one more season before being eligible for free agency. 

The Giants could be the team most clubs interested in adding to their roster turn to because everyone is always looking for pitching help down the stretch. In a market without many clear-cut sellers, they have the potential to set up their future this summer if they end up making multiple deals.