Report: Madison Bumgarner could be traded during season

Madison Bumgarner’s name has come up throughout the offseason as a potential player on the trade market, but it seems like he is more likely to remain with the San Francisco Giants for now.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said on Tuesday that it’s unlikely Bumgarner gets traded this winter. Instead, the Giants may opt to start the season with him and trade him during the year if they’re not contenders.

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

That makes sense. The Giants should give themselves a fair shot to see how they perform in 2019, especially with the Diamondbacks trading Paul Goldschmidt and the Dodgers not looking to add any payroll. A strong trade market should still exist in-season if the Giants want to trade Bumgarner at that time. The 29-year-old lefty is only set to make $12 million next season and is one of the most successful postseason pitchers in history.