© Isaiah J. Downing | 2019 May 7
On Saturday morning, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports posted Madison Bumgarner’s no-trade list, which comprises of eight teams all considered to be postseason contenders.
Madison Bumgarner’s eight-team no-trade list, per sources:#Braves#RedSox#Cubs#Astros#Brewers#Yankees#Phillies#STLCards
Bumgarner chose teams strategically; list comprised solely of contenders that might want to acquire him from #SFGiants, not teams he wants to avoid.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
So why wouldn’t Bumgarner want to be traded to a good team? Well, this list isn’t actually an indication of that at all. As explained by Rosenthal, putting contenders on the list isa savvy negotiation tactic. Because the teams listed are the ones most likely to pursue a deal for the Giants’ ace, San Francisco would likely be forced to compensate Bumgarner to get him to waive his no-trade clause in order to execute a deal with one of these clubs.
More context on Bumgarner: His contract allows him to reject trades to eight teams. The eight I reported are the ones he can block. He can still approve trades to those teams, but generally players want some form of compensation to waive their no-trade protection.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2019
Bumgarner, 29, is in the last year of a five-year, $35 million contract that will pay him $12 million this year. He’s posted a 3.99 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through eight starts this season.