The San Francisco Giants entered Tuesday just 2.5 games back in the NL wild card hunt following their surge in the month of July, but they are still entertaining the idea of trading away their best pitcher.
Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports that the Giants are discussing a potential Madison Bumgarner trade with the Houston Astros.
Source says Giants and Astros "engaged" on Bumgarner. Amount of traction unclear.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 30, 2019
The Astros already have one of the best rotations in baseball, and adding Bumgarner would position them incredibly well to make a World Series run. The left-hander has a no-trade clause in his contract that includes the Astros, so he would have to approve a deal if the two teams agreed to one.
Bumgarner has made it clear he does not want to be traded, so his no-trade list could actually complicate things if the Giants decide to move him. It would also be a tough sell for the fans with the team still in the playoff hunt, but Bumgarner is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. If the Giants don’t think they have enough to win a title this year, this may be their best chance to get maximum value in return for the former World Series MVP.
