© Joe Camporeale | 2018 Aug 4
The San Francisco Giants have a number of important decisions to make this offseason. One of which happens to do with the future of Madison Bumgarner, who will be out of his current contract at the end of 2019.
Giants CEO Larry Baer joined Tolbert & Lund on Thursday afternoon, and updated the listeners on how the club is approaching the Bumgarner contract situation, and revealed that the two have spoken on the topic recently.
“Look we’re coming upon an important decision, and some of it’s going to depend on what we do around him, and how we think we’re stocked for pitching and hitting and all of the pieces,” Baer said. “The goal is to get to October and play baseball in October, and you’ve got to do that with 25 players.”
“We’ll talk during the offseason. I had a nice conversation with him, and I’m not going to be the one that’s making the deal or making the baseball evaluation. But we had a good chat last week in the clubhouse.”
The Giants hold a club option worth $12 million for 2019 that they will almost certainly exercise this offseason. If they don’t agree on anything beyond that, Bumgarner will become a free agent next offseason.
“Somebody of his impact in this organization deserves every consideration. Having said that, we have to see how this team comes together and where we are. This decision is not just a 2019 decision, but a decision that goes way beyond 2019 potentially.”
“Maybe we sign him before Opening Day next season, maybe we don’t. If we don’t, the hope is a trade is the last thing on your mind because you’re competing for a title,” Baer said.
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Baer on Bumgarner, start from