Appreciating the Final Days of Bumgarner as a Giant

Giants Ace Madison Bumgarner is still a Giant. Yes, there are rumors swirling more than ever, especially as the Giants sit in last place in the NL West at 13–18 as of May 1st, and sport the worst offense in all of baseball, according to wRC+. But as of now, Bumgarner is still the Giants’ best pitcher in the rotation, and arguably the best and biggest superstar on the Giants roster as of this moment (the only other competition may be battery mate Buster Posey). MadBum will bring Giants fans to the stadium, and not only will he perform, but he will also ignite memories of a Giants past that was a lot more successful and memorable.

Last night fit that bill perfectly, as Bumgarner went six innings, and struck out eight Dodger hitters, while only allowing four hits, two walks, and a run on 114 pitches. It was classic Bumgarner, what Giants fans have been used to for about a decade: not exactly the prettiest, not perfect, but still solid when it mattered most. And as usual, Bumgarner did it on the big stage, against Giants fans’ most hated opponent at Oracle Park.

Bumgarner didn’t get the win (per usual this year, the offense couldn’t back up the Giants’ stellar pitching), but it was a nice showcase for the 29-year-old ace, who showed that despite injury issues the past couple of years, he can still bring it and compete at the highest level. And while that is nice for Giants fans who may still hold onto the glimmer of hope that the organization can still stay in the playoff race (after all…we’ve only been a month into the season), it is more relevant to other organizations in baseball: Bumgarner is available, he is in the last year of his deal, and he can still perform against the best teams in baseball.

As he walked off the mound after finishing the sixth inning, you could sense that this performance may be the beginning of the end for MadBum in the black and orange. With pitching a premium around the league, and more crucial than ever for playoff qualification as well as success, there are not many pitchers on the market who are as affordable and reputable as Bumgarner. And for the Giants, with a terrible offense, an aging roster, and a thin farm system, getting some kind of return to booster this organization from the bottom up is more important than ever for new head honcho Farhan Zaidi, who was hired as Bobby Evans’ replacement to breathe new life in San Francisco. It won’t be a matter of “if” Bumgarner will be traded…more like a matter of “when.”

And it’s bittersweet because Bumgarner has been one of the best Giants pitchers…well…ever.

After Barry Bonds’ “retirement” in 2007, the Giants put a premium on developing the pitching, which never was “great” during Bonds’ tenure in the Bay Area (unless you consider Livan Hernandez and Shawn Estes “great”). The “swing for the fences” approach provided some fireworks and storylines during the Bonds era, but often it failed to lead to much significant or consistent regular season and postseason success. Then general manager at the time, Brian Sabean, shifted the Giants’ focus from offense (relying on aging power vets like Bonds and Moises Alou, for example, failed to get the Giants a World Series title) to pitching and defense (to prevent runs in Oracle Park’s spacious outfield) and can be credited for developing a home-grown rotation and plucky, on the cheap bullpen that set up their three-World-Series run from 2010–2014.

The shift in organizational approach started with Matt Cain, who went 13–12 as a rookie in 2005, and ended up being a workhorse for the Giants for nearly a decade en route to three All-Star appearances (2009, 2011, 2012). Then “The Freak” Tim Lincecum joined him, earning back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009 while helping the Giants go from cellar-dweller to playoff contender. And while those two aces certainly experienced incredible high’s as Giants, it wasn’t until Bumgarner came along in 2010 (he debuted in 2009, but his first full season wasn’t until 2010) that the rotation really solidified and the Giants became the NL West juggernaut that they were from 2010–2016.

While Cain and Lincecum had more regular season brass and accolades (the highest Bumgarner ever finished in the Cy Young standings was fourth in 2014 and 2016), no other pitcher in the Giants organization was more valuable. From 2011–2016, Bumgarner was the ninth most valuable pitcher in baseball, according to WAR. Take a look at the chart below, and you can see that Bumgarner, though he has not won a Cy Young in his career, is up there statistically with past Cy Young winners such as the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, Nationals’ Max Scherzer, and Mariners’ Felix Hernandez, just to name a few.

Since 2016, it has been a rougher patch for Bumgarner, as injuries limited him to only 40 starts and 240 innings in 2017 and 2018 combined (he had no fewer than 32 starts and 204 innings every season from 2011 to 2016). Of course, he’s not alone in the Giants rotation when it comes to problems: big free agent pickup Johnny Cueto has also struggled to stay healthy (he missed most of last year due to arm issues, and will miss most, if not all, of this year due to Tommy John surgery), and Jeff Samardzija has struggled with inconsistency (15 losses in 2017; a 5.44 FIP in 2018). But despite the health question marks, Bumgarner still flashes that 2011–2016 self more often than not: he had a 3.32 and 3.26 ERA in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and though his ERA is higher in 2019 than the previous two years (3.92), his FIP is actually better (3.26), a reverse from the previous two seasons where his FIP (3.99 and 3.95, respectively) was higher than his ERA the past two seasons. If Bumgarner continues to pitch like last night, it will only be a matter of time before his ERA regresses closer to his career average (3.06).

But then again, Bumgarner probably won’t be around long enough in San Francisco for Giants fans to see it get there this season.

Milton Bradley in San Francisco Sounds Great, but Move Is Game Giants Can't Play

From Bleacher Report

On Sept. 26, the Chicago Tribune reported that the San Francisco Giants may be one of three teams interested in the services of talented, but troubled switch-hitting outfielder Milton Bradley.

Tribune reporter Paul Sullivan, claimed the best option for the Cubs could be a straight-up swap for Giants outfielder Aaron Rowand.

Rowand, a solid clubhouse veteran, has struggled to make a dent in his two years so far in San Francisco, especially this year.

While Rowand has hit 15 home runs and drove in 60 RBI, he leads the team with 123 strikeouts, and has only drawn 29 walks.

To make matters worse, Rowand has three years, $36 million remaining on the big contract he signed in 2008.

With better and cheaper outfielder options available such as Andres Torres and even Eugenio Velez, the Giants may be better off if they could get rid of the popular, but declining center fielder.

Getting Bradley in return though is not the solution, even if it means getting rid of somebody as unproductive as Rowand.

On paper, Bradley makes sense for the Giants. The Giants struggled mightily with OBP and OPS this season, as evidenced by their team .310 OBP and .700 OPS, which both rank last in the National League.

Even though his .378 OBP and .775 OPS are significantly down from last year, he would actually rank second on this Giants team in OBP (behind only Pablo Sandoval) and fourth in OPS.

Furthermore, his 66 walks (which would be second on the Giants) would also help a squad that most likely will finish last in the Major Leagues in walks with 384.

Yet as most baseball fans all now, while Bradley can fill a need in terms of filling statistical holes for the Giants, his personality and attitude is too much of a risk for Giants general manager Brian Sabean to take.

Bradley has worn out his welcome in almost every stop in his Major League career, despite his solid numbers.

He was pretty much booted out of Cleveland, despite hitting .321 and having a .421 OBP in his last season as an Indian in 2003.

His hometown Los Angeles Dodgers got sick of his act and let him walk after two seasons, even though he hit 19 home runs and drove in 67 RBI in 2004.

Despite having a career year in 2008 in Texas where he hit 22 home runs, had 77 RBI and sported a .436 OBP, the Rangers still didn't deem it worthwhile to make an effort to resign him to a new contract.

Unfortunately for the city of Chicago, the Cubs did give him a contract, and already, after one year, they want him gone.

You could point to Bradley's decline in almost every statistical category as the reason why Cubs fans want him out of Chicago.

However, all players have bad seasons, and with two more years remaining on his contract, you think Cubs fans would at least give him one more season to redeem his mediocre performance in 2009.

Bradley though is an exception to that kind of common thinking.

Already in one season he has proved to be a distraction. He doesn't get along with his teammates. He doesn't get along with Cubs manager Lou Piniella. And lastly, he doesn't seem to mesh with the Chicago media or fans.

This is a city where Ozzie "I can't say 10 words without insulting someone" Guillen is still managing, mind you.

I know it is tempting for the Giants to make a trade for Bradley. The change of scenery, a new, more temperate manager, and a more relaxed media scene may be able to coax a big season out of the disgruntled outfielder like it did in Texas in 2008.

When you look at the whole picture though, there are just too many question marks with Bradley. And when you consider his declining slugging numbers (his slugging percentage dropped from .563 in 2008 to .397 in 2009), and the fact that AT&T Park isn't necessarily a hitter's park like Progressive Field in Cleveland or The Ballpark in Arlington, Bradley simply isn't as enticing a commodity as he was a couple of years ago.

I sympathize with many Giants fans out there. I agree with them when it comes to trading Rowand, and acquiring a big bat to make the playoffs next season.

That being said, anybody who thinks Bradley is going to kill two birds with one stone is out of their mind. I guarantee you, if Bradley comes to San Francisco, he will only accomplish one of those "wishes" for Giants fans.

I think they can figure out which one it is.

What the Giants need to do to make a run (please read this Brian Sabean!)

Dan Uggla would bring much needed power and RBI support to a Giants team that hasn't had those two things since Bonds' absence.

I'm running high right now. The Giants have just won four straight as they swept the Atlanta Braves and took the first game against the St. Louis Cardinals, their last home series before they hit the road for an NL East swing against Washington and Florida. If the Giants can take two out of three at the very least against the Cardinals this will be big momentum before they hit their interleague series against the hated Oakland A's (yes they are rivals. They swept us in the 1989 Earthquake Series and I have declared Holy War on them since). The Nationals and Marlins are reeling and there is no reason to think why we can't take five out of six or even sweep both series. Well...that might be asking a lot, but we should take four out of six against the Nats and Marlins at the very least. Furthermore, we follow up against the D'Backs after the Marlins series and with the way that team is reeling (with the exception of Justin Upton), the opportunity is there for the Giants to make a big run to pass up the hot Padres and gain some ground on the scorching Dodgers.

The thing is though, our hitting is still lousy. The bats are starting to improve after that lousy 2-9 stretch in Mid-May, but in the long-haul, there really just isn't enough hitting in the lineup for the Giants to make a serious run. Bengie Molina is mired in an awful slump that exhibits why he shouldn't be the Giants cleanup hitter and Pablo Sandoval, our best hitter of the year so far, simply doesn't have the kind of power that can make the team contenders. He's a great contact guy, don't get me wrong. He puts the ball in play and the ball finds holes, but you can't count on him for that big home run or that big double. That just isn't his game nor his style of hitting. He's less reminiscent to a power hitter like Pujols or Bonds and more akin to a slow-slap hitter like Billy Butler. Great contact hitter, puts the ball in play, but you're pretty much getting singles out of the guy and that's it.

The only thing worthwhile is that the Giants pitching, especially starting pitching has been phenomenal. Tim Lincecum, whom I ripped in an earlier post after Opening Week, has looked like his old self. Matt Cain is finally getting some run support and looking like the ace we always knew he would be. Jonathan Sanchez is looking like he always is (great on some days, bad on days when his control is not on) but that is not a bad thing, because when he rides a hot streak, he can be one of the best pitchers on the staff. Even Barry Zito, the 100 plus million dollar man, isn't looking bad. He has been putting out alright outings, but unfortunately, a combination of poor defense and lousy hitting has been his Achilles heel so far that has produced his third straight poor win-loss record out of the gate.

The relief pitching really is the only thing holding the pitching back, mainly because Brian Wilson is a shell of his former self and the set up guys have been inconsistent. Bobby Howry is a perfect example. Totally shuts down the meat of the order against St. Louis last night, but he had nights before when he just gets rocked. If Howry can get some consistency, there is no reason our bullpen can't close the door on the close games. That used to be their MO last year: bullpen closing the door on tight games. And that was with less run support and worse hitting.

So what do the Giants do in order to get in the mix in this NL West Race which looks like Dodgers and everyone else? Well...first they need to solve the Padres. The Giants are a woeful 0-6 at Petco Park this year. While they did sweep a two game series from the Padres in April, that was at a time when the Padres were reeling as well. The Giants have played well against the Dodgers since getting massacred during the opening week. But the Padres have been a different story and the Giants need to get those woeful performances solved. If it's a three-team race between the Padres, Giants and Dodgers, things won't look so good. But if it's narrowed down to a two-team race between the Giants and Dodgers, the odds look a lot better.

Another thing the Giants need to do is get a legitimate power hitter. It's been the priority the fans have been clamoring for even though Sabean is a knucklehead and continues to think guys like Travis Ishikawa and Jesus Guzman are the answers to get it done. Look, I know the Giants are a different team from the Bonds days and I like it. I like that they're more about speed and stretching hits out. I really have come around on Emmanuel Burriss, who is starting to show people why he should be the everyday second baseman. Juan Uribe has been a nice little pickup who's given the lineup some much needed spark (and I think for the time being, we should start Uribe at third and put Sandoval at first. Uribe's a better hitter than Ishikawa and I think Sandoval is more suited for first base anyways). And Aaron Rowand leading off strangely enough has given the Giants lineup the perk that they needed after that woeful mid-May stretch.

Yet there still is that missing run producer that could take this Giants team from good to great. The good thing is, this problem is solvable. There are guys on the market that can come in and help the team immediately. The bad thing is, Sabean is the worst GM in the league and whether or not he has the smarts to make a moves is something to be determined. Here are a few guys I believe the Giants should make serious runs for.

Nick Johnson: I like getting Nick Johnson for various reasons, and reporters everywhere are sure that he's one of the first players to be moved this season. One, you can't overestimate the value of getting a guy that is in the same league. While we have seen exceptions to the rule before (Manny and C.C. last season) for the most part, there has always been a drop off when guys switched from one league to the other. Nomar had a drop off when he went to the Cubs down the stretch and the Cubs suffered for it. Renteria has struggled whenever he has gone to American League ballclubs. So getting a guy from the Nationals is a positive move, just because he is already used to the pitching in the National league. In addition, what makes this trade so tantalizing is Johnson is a northern California guy. He played at McClatchy High School in Sacramento, Calif. A guy familiar with the area can be a wonderful thing. He'll feel right at home and won't need much time to get used to the area. And lastly, and most importantly, the guy can hit. He's healthy for the first time in a while and he has been a catalyst for a rather meager Nationals ballclub. Currently, he's batting .335 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. In addition, he's always been a solid on base guy and can take advantage of the gaps, a quality that is beneficial in a spacious ballpark such as AT&T Park. If the Giants can land this guy for a few minor league arms, (which the Nationals need because there pitching is ridiculously poor), the Giants could make a tremendous leap in terms of improving their mediocre offensive numbers.

Dan Uggla: He's struggling actually right now (.207 average, 9 HRs, 34 RBIs) and the Marlins have always showed in the past that they always want to get younger. With a lot of young farm guys coming up and the Marlins looking as if they are going to be an afterthough in the competitive NL East, an expected fire-sale of big name guys could happen very soon, much sooner than usual. Uggla would bring much needed power to the Giants lineup and could be the kind of second baseman that might bring back for fans memories of Jeff Kent, one of the best second baseman the Giants have ever had. Like Kent, Uggla isn't much of a fielder, but they don't need him to be really. Kent was an average fielder as well, but he was able to take advantage of the Giants home ballpark and was a catalyst behind Bonds in the lineup. With Molina fading fast in the cleanup spot, Uggla coming to San Francisco could be the pop to help the Giants compete with the loaded Dodgers. Furthermore, this could be a win-win for both sides. For the Giants, they get a better hitter, and for Uggla, he gets a fresh start and gets to be "the man" something he really hasn't had in Florida with Hanley Ramirez the main headliner.

Carlos Lee: I've been reading up on this one on a couple of blogs and I'm not exactly convinced, but I'm not totally closed to this idea as well. There is a lot Lee can bring to the table for the Giants. He'll obviously be an immediate power threat not to mention a run-driving threat that Giants have lacked since Bonds was let go. Granted, for all of Lee's inadequacies (lousy fielder, shaky personality) the one thing he does have going for him is that he has always been a consistent hitter. In his tenure with the White Sox, Brewers and Astros his stats have always been around the same, and that is what the Giants have lacked in their lineup. Molina is up one month, down the other. Same thing with every guy in this Giants lineup 1-8. A force like Lee not only would give the Giants lineup a consistent threat, but could also add confidence in the hitters, who'll not feel the pressure like they usually do with runners on. Molina won't need to be the man, and can bat lower in the lineup which he is more suited for. The only roadblock in this is money. He costs a lot and his arrival undoubtedly would mean Fred Lewis or Randy Winn would be packing their bags (most likely Lewis, who I like a lot). But the Giants should definitely look into this, especially since a big-hitting veteran presence could do this young team some good.

So those are some of my thoughts about the Giants as of today. Hopefully they can take their fifth in a row but with Carpenter on the mound, I'm highly skeptical.