Although the Giants are going at this offseason with an all-in mentality, they don’t appear to have the same mindset when it comes to re-signing Madison Bumgarner. Instead, given last year’s injury, Giants chief executive officer Larry Baer told Gary & Larry on Friday afternoon that they are planning to wait and see how Bumgarner pitches next season before moving forward.
“Let’s see how Bumgarner bounces back,” Baer said when asked if Bumgarner will be a tough signing down the road. “I think that we’ve always, going back several years now, anticipated Bumgarner remaining, but we have to make sure he’s healthy and everything. Tough sign? I don’t know. I think we’d want him here and he’d want to be here, but let’s get through the season and see what we do.”
Bumgarner’s health wasn’t an issue until last season, when a dirt bike accident strained his shoulder and sidelined him from April until mid-July. Consequently, Bumgarner made only 17 starts with one complete game, whereas the year before he started a career-high 34 games and had thrown four shutouts each of the last two seasons. Bumgarner was also limited to 111 innings pitched last season, which was a massive drop in workload considering he’d averaged 213 innings from 2011-2016.
The Giants have a $12 million team option for Bumgarner awaiting them in 2019, after which he will become a free agent. Sooner or later, a decision will have to be made regarding Bumgarner, and Baer is rightfully holding off until they see if he returns to form next year.
“Some of them, it’s just being on the field,” Baer said. “I mean, look at how many starts Madison Bumgarner made last year. Look at how many appearances Mark Melancon made last year. Will Smith, zero. You’re getting a situation where some guys weren’t even on the field at all.”
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 11:14 for Baer on Bumgarner
