Madison Bumgarner is one of the top starting pitchers remaining on the free agent market, and there are several teams that are interested in signing the left-hander. Ultimately, it may come down to who is willing to meet Bumgarner’s asking price.
Bumgarner’s representatives have told teams the 2014 World Series MVP is seeking a five-year deal worth more than $100 million, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Teams are being told that free-agent starter Madison Bumgarner is seeking a five-year deal for $100 million-plus.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 9, 2019
While Bumgarner is coming off a down season in which he posted a career-worst 3.90 ERA, he still made 34 starts and struck out 203 hitters in 207 innings. He’s also one of the best postseason pitchers in MLB history. That should be appealing to contending teams, which is why one top NL team has supposedly made signing him a priority this winter.
There are concerns that Bumgarner’s stuff isn’t quite what it used to be, but he’s still only 30. Zack Wheeler, who is 29, just signed a five-year, $119 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. It makes sense that Bumgarner would want a similar contract, and he does not appear to be willing to take a hometown discount to return to the San Francisco Giants. He should have no problem getting $100 million.
