As Dodgers make their presence felt, Giants circle back on Madison Bumgarner
SAN DIEGO — The moment that news of Gerrit Cole’s record-setting, nine-year, $324 million contract arrived at the Winter Meetings, jaws hit the floor in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
The words “Madison Bumgarner” and “Los Angeles Dodgers” kept them there for quite some time.
Immediately after Cole and the New York Yankees agreed to the biggest contract any pitcher has ever signed, word trickled out the Dodgers would be shifting their focus from the former Houston Astros ace to the former San Francisco Giants left-hander.
Can you picture Bumgarner, one of the greatest pitchers in Giants franchise history, in Dodger blue?
#Dodgers will now shift their focus to free-agent left-hander Madison Bumgarner, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2019
Most people gossiping in the hallways of the Winter Meetings headquarters couldn’t, but one source familiar with Bumgarner’s thinking believes there’s a serious chance he’ll sign with the Giants’ greatest rival.
Wouldn’t the Giants stand in the Dodgers’ way? If the Dodgers give Bumgarner a five-year, $125 million contract, wouldn’t the Giants give him one dollar more?
“There’s a lot of rumors and a lot of innuendo and a lot of noise and we just have to go based on what we know and the conversations that we’re having privately,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said.
In other words, what the Dodgers do in free agency will not dictate the Giants’ plan.
The Giants, however, remain engaged in talks to bring the left-hander back to the only franchise he’s ever known. It’s unclear how serious Zaidi and Co. are about making a long-term commitment, but unlike last offseason, the Giants are more willing to add players on multi-year deals.
In Zaidi’s first winter with the organization, the Giants signed only three players to guaranteed major league contracts. Derek Holland and Pat Venditte were both designated for assignment and Drew Pomeranz was traded.
This offseason, the Giants believe they have more financial flexibility.
Evan Longoria is the only player under contract beyond 2021 and with free agent slugger Anthony Rendon headed to the Angels, teams looking for a solid third baseman may approach the Giants.
The Dodgers have now missed out on both Cole and Rendon, two players believed to be among their top offseason targets. For an organization that’s won seven straight NL West crowns yet hasn’t brought home a World Series title in 30 years, there’s an expectation from fans the Dodgers should do whatever is necessary to end the drought.
If the Dodgers are a dominant regular season team and lacking a postseason X-factor, who better to solve that issue than Bumgarner?
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has never committed more than $100 million to a player and it’s likely to require nine figures to land Bumgarner.
It’s not the Dodgers’ way to overpay for talent and it’s not the Giants’ way to let their heroes walk away, but times are changing for both franchises. As the Dodgers grow increasingly restless, perhaps they’ll feel compelled to splurge.
If they do go beyond the Giants’ comfort zone, expect Zaidi to remain disciplined. Even if it crushes the team’s fans.