Boston Red Sox Rumors: Madison Bumgarner the perfect mid-season pickup
With the Boston Red Sox starting pitching rotation suffering from the injury bug, it’s time to take a look at some veteran starters the team can target before the MLB Trade Deadline.
It’s only May, but with the Boston Red Sox looking more like the team that won 108 games and the World Series a season ago, the team will certainly be a buyer come the MLB Trade Deadline in July and starting pitching could be on their radar.
One pitcher who comes to mind is San Francisco Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner who is set to hit free agency this offseason.
Back when I wrote my “Boston Red Sox: 5 wicked predictions 2019 and beyond” article, I predicted that the Red Sox would let Chris Sale walk and target Bumgarner in free agency as their ace.
Well, half of that prediction will not happen as the team locked up Sale prior to the 2019 MLB season. However, his early struggles along with injuries to both Nathan Eovaldi and David Price, makes Madison Bumgarner pitching off the mound at Fenway Park sooner than 2020 a possibility even though the three-time World Series champion as the Boston Red Sox on his list of no-trade destinations.
With the Giants currently in last-place in the NL West, why would Bumgarner have the Red Sox on a short-list of contenders he would have on a no-trade list?
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Madison Bumgarner’s list has nothing to do with what teams he wouldn’t want to play for, but more of a strategic list based on his own control.
First here is the list:
Madison Bumgarner’s eight-team no-trade list, per sources:#Braves#RedSox#Cubs#Astros#Brewers#Yankees#Phillies#STLCards
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
Bumgarner chose teams strategically; list comprised solely of contenders that might want to acquire him from #SFGiants, not teams he wants to avoid.
As with any star player, Bumgarner has the no-trade clause in his contract to control his destination if traded. As Rosenthal further pointed out, the list simply gives him leverage to demand compensation for waiving his no-trade clause for whichever team the Giants attempt to work out a trade with.
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With his desire to get back in the playoffs, the list is more team’s he knows will be after his services, than team’s he not interested in. So, the Boston Red Sox being on that list is actually a good thing for fans and perhaps a good thing beyond the 2019 season given that Rick Porcello is in the last year of his contract and the team will be on the market for a starter in following the season.
Why this would be a good mid-season pickup?
Depending on what the Boston Red Sox would have to give up, adding an experienced playoff performer like Madison Bumgarner gives the team depth in the starting rotation and allows Alex Cora to manage the innings of both Chris Sale and David Price.
Also, his addition would provide flexibility if the team would need to move Nathan Eovaldi to the closer role once healthy and the bullpen becomes an issue again. That would mean four lefties in the starting rotation, but top three of Chris Sale, Bumgarner and David Price would really set the Red Sox up nicely.
With the way Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello have been pitching of late, it would also set up a pretty solid starting five that rivals any rotation throughout baseball if all are healthy and pitching up to their capability.
The only question is what the Red Sox would have to give up keeping him away from a team like the New York Yankees and how much will they have to spend to keep in him Boston beyond just a half season rental.
Next. Boston Red Sox: Starting pitching depth still an issue. dark
On that, let’s let Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski do his job and figure that out.
As for what Madison Bumgarner adds as far as the numbers: Over 11 seasons, he is a four-time All-Star a 112-87 recorded with a 3.06 ERA and he also has a World Series MVP award under his belt.
A proven winner looking to win again sounds like the perfect addition to a Boston Red Sox team just now waking up from a series World Series hangover. Let the MLB Trade Deadline rumors begin.