Madison Bumgarner Trade Rumors: Giants Increasingly Unlikely to Deal SP

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who has been the subject of trade rumors, may stay in the Bay Area into the regular season, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:

A three-time World Series champion with the Giants, Bumgarner went 6-7 with a 3.26 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 129.2 innings last season. He is 110-83 with a 3.03 ERA and four All-Star appearances for his career.

Bumgarner has only made 38 starts over the past two years after battling various injuries, but he's one of the best pitchers in the game when he's on. Of note, he also has an 8-3 playoff record and 2.11 ERA in 16 lifetime appearances.

Bumgarner has one year and $12 million left on his deal, so any trade wouldn't occur because the Giants want to cut bait with a bad contract.

Rather, San Francisco is in clear rebuilding mode after winning just 137 games in their last two seasons. Bumgarner is the Giants' best asset and could bring back a haul from a contending team looking to make a postseason push.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported on December 4 that the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers had interest, and those two clubs could certainly be in the mix in July if the Giants are out of contention and want to make a deal.

Ultimately, the market for him may be better in the midseason when teams are likelier to give more in return as they push for the playoffs. Right now, the Giants may not have as much leverage, so it's best for them to stay put if they want to move on.