San Francisco Giants and Madison Bumgarner Share 'Mutual Interest' In Extension But Will Deal be Signed Soon?
Bumgarner under contract for this season and Giants have a team option for 2019
Pitcher Madison Bumgarner has developed a reputation for being one of the best postseason performers of this current generation.
Bumgarner was instrumental in the San Francisco Giants' three World Series wins this decade, and it is particularly difficult to imagine the team winning it all in 2014 were it not for his incredible pitching performance against the Kansas City Royals.
Even at this point in his career, Bumgarner is already a safe bet to go down as one of the most iconic players in franchise history. And while his long-term future with the team is not settled yet, that could change in the not-too-distant future.
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Over on Twitter, MLB insider Jon Morosi noted that Giants general manager Bobby Evans recently told MLB Network Radio that both the franchise and Bumgarner have "mutual interest" in an extension.
Evans did note, however, that talks were not going on at the moment and that a starting date for a dialogue has not been set just yet.
So, will that "mutual interest" eventually lead to both sides agreeing to a contract extension?
What is worth remembering about Bumgarner is that even beyond his incredible playoff resume, he is also a terrific starting pitcher who has been a mainstay in the rotation.
A dirt bike injury cost Bumgarner a significant chunk of last season, but in the seasons prior, he was one of the more durable pitchers in the game. As seen on Baseball Reference, he exceeded more than 200 innings pitched every year from 2011 to 2016, and those were high quality innings as well.
Bumgarner even posted his best campaign in 2016. And had he not gotten hurt last year, maybe 2017 would have been another career year.
It is hard to find pitchers who can perform like Bumgarner these days and so the Giants understandably want to keep him in town.
As for Bumgarner, the southpaw has not really offered any indication that he wants to leave San Francisco.
It is quite possible that both sides will reach a deal eventually, but the reason why it may not get done yet is because the Giants still have time.
The franchise still has a team option for Bumgarner that it can exercise for 2019, so they can wait until after this season is over to ramp up negotiations.
Bumgarner may not have a long-term deal done with the Giants at this point, but that could very well still change soon enough.
