© Kiel Maddox | 2018 Sep 15
It appears new Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi isn’t afraid to move a franchise cornerstone in his first season calling the shots.
Zaidi is willing to engage in trade talks regarding ace Madison Bumgarner and has already done so in a preliminary fashion with the Brewers and Phillies, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
Via Morosi:
“Broadly speaking, the circumstances are ripe for Bumgarner to be dealt. Zaidi has been given broad latitude to reshape the organization, and a trade of Bumgarner would begin to replenish a farm system that is not among the best in baseball. Bumgarner is under contract for only one more season at $12 million, meaning he’s due to reach free agency before the culmination of even the most rapid rebuild.”
…
“Sources say Zaidi is likely to ask for at least one high-end pitching prospect in any Bumgarner trade. According to MLB Pipeline, only one of the Giants’ top five prospects is a pitcher: right-hander Shaun Anderson, a 24-year-old viewed as a mid-rotation Major League starter.”
According to Morosi, minor leaguers Sixto Sanchez, Adonis Medina and Zach Eflin of the Phillies, and Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff of the Brewers, are the most likely candidates to be targeted by Zaidi in return for Bumgarner.