Dodgers & Madison Bumgarner Have ‘Mutual Interest’ In Joining Forces
Undeniably, the one thing that certain in baseball is the unpredictable. Therefore, I shouldn’t say this is a post I never thought I would be writing.
Right now in a turn of events never thought possible, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Madison Bumgarner have a ‘mutual interest’ in one another. Indeed, this report comes from Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Nightmare.
Madison Bumgarner and the Dodgers have "mutual interest" in free agency, sources have told @PavlovicNBCS https://t.co/dzAu5fAmJa pic.twitter.com/dFkBMMmlb0
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) December 13, 2019
Moreover, the key snippet in the report comes to Pavlovic from ‘sources’:
There is mutual interest between Madison Bumgarner and the Dodgers, sources told NBC Sports Bay Area this week, and the Dodgers met with Bumgarner’s representatives at the MLB Winter Meetings. It’s unclear if the Dodgers will satisfy the Giants ace’s salary desires, but Bumgarner and Hyun-Jin Ryu are the top options left on the pitching market after a shockingly active week in San Diego, and LA would like to add to its rotation.
Then, there is emphasis that this is not simply a ploy of any type by the Dodgers. Without question Pavolic states that the interest in Bumgarner is genuine.
Giants officials downplayed those concerns this week, repeatedly noting that they will build back up the right way and not be swayed by emotion. There was some skepticism about the Dodgers’ true intentions, but sources say the interest is real, and that could put the Giants in a tough spot.
Remember, the Dodgers lost out on Gerrit Cole and then immediately shifted focus to Bumgarner. Already, Ken Rosenthal has spoken towards the Dodgers’ finding that Bumgarner’s spin rate was the biggest increase in baseball in 2019. Obviously, Rosenthal weighing in on the notion adds a degree of levity to the entire report.
Right now – this is no longer a rumor – but an ongoing topic. Should the Dodgers decide to add Bumgarner, will you accept him as one of your own in blue? And can he help the Dodgers get over the hump?
If he really wants to help this team win it all then I’ll accept him. My fear is that he wouldn’t be as motivated here, he may just want to take the money
He is one heck of a competitor – if I am being honest that’s why I’ve always hated seeing him come to town. I don’t worry about his determination, he’s a hungry guy and a tough player. I don’t buy into his ability still being there or some discovery the Dodgers magically made in a meeting room about his spin rate. He got hit, and elite teams will still probably shell him when it matters. I feel like if he’s going to land over $100 M dollars, that’s too much. I can’t believe that’s the going rate for the Bumgarner I saw in 2019.
As much of a Warrior the Bum is….I think he has a hard on for Frsco…as they didn’t offer him an extension when he requested one…Like Kent who gave us 1 great year and 2 so so….Bum will do they same….I say pass….he is only 9 games over 500 and Yeah he was great in Playoffs…BUT HE HAD A MGR. WHO KNEW HOW TO USE HIM….
Baumgartner is a stud and future Hall of Famer. He would be a great addition to Dodger. He knows how to win in p!ayoffs.
We have accepted LeBron in LA , Dwight Howard Again. We can accept Bumgarner especially if he helps bring back a World Series. Who knows maybe he’ll have some advice for Kershaw too!
I’ll give you this. The Dodgers need someone in there who has won a title and Bumgarner can provide that experience and testimony to them. That’s invaluable I think, imagine the respect he commands showing them the rings. That’s real
Clint, I am OK with this but Dodgers NEED A RHB more than anything because we all know they will be too LH hitter heavy and the team WILL NOT make it to the WS being so un balanced in the line up
Here’s a fun fact Scuba. In 6 of Bumgarner’s 14 post season starts he has given up 3 or more runs. 2012 was a bumpy followup to a very good 2010 post season. But he pitched very well in his only WS start against Detroit in game 2, so maybe that’s why nobody talks about the 10 runs in 8 innings he allowed in the two previous series. In Bums’ other 8 post season starts he has been exceptional for sure.
But the real fun fact is both Kershaw and Bum have allowed 3 runs in a post season game 4 times. The difference is, the Giants went 3-1 in those games. The Dodgers have gone 1-3 in Kershaw’s games. More notable, the Dodgers have gone 10-1 in post season games when Kershaw has given up 2 or fewer runs. 10-1..! So if Bum has advise for Kershaw, I’m gonna guess it will look something like “chances are man, if you give up more than two runs, you’re gonna lose.”.
Bumgarner is 8-3 with a 2.11 career postseason era and 4-1 with around a .20 era in the World Series. Kershaw is 9-11 with a 4.43 era in postseason and 1-2 with a era over 6 in the World Series. The real fun fact in Bumgarner gets better under pressure while Kershaw fades.
Those #’s don’t tell the story. This is why I keep trying to point out that CK has in fact had a lot of success in the post season. Nobody is saying Bum was not very good. But most people posting on this site talk like Kershaw can’t get it done, has been a failure and it is just not true. Bum got those wins I mentioned. Kershaw did not. Winnable impact games. What would we be saying if Kershaw had gotten run support? And If you want to talk about who fades, go look at the regular season innings count. No top tier pitcher in the game now has thrown as many innings as Kershaw did at 25, the start of the 7 year post season run. Not even close. That most definitely includes bum. Still CK is expected to be flawless? What are the expectations? He gives up 3 runs and it’s an epic collapse. It ridiculous. Look at the # of games CK was stretched on short rest because we couldn’t go to the pen. It’s all there. You can choose to keep slamming Kershaw or you can look at the team as a whole and understand what he has been up against. No complaints, no excuses. Kershaws sample size is + 11 games over Bum. He gave up 3 runs as Many times as Kershaw did. The fun facts are not so fun at all. And I am mystified that a site called Dodgers Nation routinely dips to the low it does when assessing Clayton’s pitching career. It’s a team sport. That’s why the example I gave is useful. Take it or leave it. My hope is we can stop this train wreck.
I know what the stats are. I am digging into how we got to that point to better understand the impact on the player and the team. I watched those games and have had the same concerns year after year that the makeup of the team would limit how far we could go. To counter this careless and destructive narrative I’ve been using examples that I believe demonstrate how selective and lazy the analysis has been when it comes to Kershaw in the postseason. Specifically sports media whose job it is to create drama and build their careers on the backs of athletes who actually play the games. The fans? Who knows what motivates some fans to eat their own. Digging is fun. I highly recommend it.
If that is the case then obviously it’s the offense that usually FAILS in October.
The offense and lack of a reliable pen and very questionable managerial decisions dating back to Mattingly.
Yes and very true because in October Dodgers have shown not to be a match for the elite pitching we usually see in October.
Sergio Romo, Brian Wilson, and now Bumgarner. The Giants’ starters sloppy seconds never pan out well in LA.
Add Jason Schmidt to the list.
Totally agree. Also bad blood between him and Muncie
Even if the Dodgers do get Bumgarner they still need another starter. Even though I didn’t like him on the Giants I hope he brings that same edge with him. The Dodgers do need a player to shake-up controversy with opposing players.
I am so mixed on Bumgarner. I don’t feel like he would make a better third or fourth or fifth than a Urias, or May, or Gonsolin. Buehler and Kershaw are 1-2. From there you still have Stripling and a guy or two from the minors who emerges. They needed an elite starter like Cole or Strasburg. I just don’t feel like Bumgarner on the field is a difference maker for a team in their space.
Why would I have a problem accepting MadBum? All he ever did was be good when it mattered most. What’s to hate about that? I would have a problem with a player who trashed our players, city or organization like Yuli Gurriel. I don’t hate a player for simply having spent time on the Giants, I would only hate them if they chose the Giants over the Dodgers if the Dodgers had an equal or better offer.
It would be like Verlander in Houston. Bumgarner would regain top form because of the playoffs. He should be #1 option, and 100 million for 5 years will end up being a bargain.
Why not just get Ryu instead? Ryu is a better pitcher, will be short term and doesn’t come with baggage. though it would be fun to hear Madbum and Muncy try to bury the hatchet! Maybe they could throw it in the ocean!.lol
Ryu refuses to work out of the bullpen come playoffs where as MadBum has and will when asked. MadBum is a true competitor and will do anything to win.
Ryu not working out of the pen has zero to do with why the Dodger’s haven’t signed him. That’s funny. A true competitor and teammate does not ride and get hurt on a motorcycle during the season imo either. So, hell no we do not want MB as a Dodger.
I cannot stand the mother f_____ if he comes to dodgers I cancel my MLB channel and will never attend another game as long as he is there.THIS SUCKS
Love the honesty and completely agree! Don’t worry doubt there’s much of chance this is a real rumor
Bumgarner has a terrific arm! His spirit and insight are as good as anyone in the majors. The price is what you have to get used to in the market, today. I would try very hard to sign this guy and welcome him to the family.
I trust the Dodgers are also doing their “do diligence with Ryu and may get him back, also.
Dick I.
There’s an adage, “be a fan of the name on the Front of the jersey, Not the back of the jersey.” If the current Dodgers on the roster delivered a World Series title or more, we wouldn’t be having this post. Heck, the Lakers acquired Kareem from Bucks and Shaq, free-agent from Magic. WSS, going forward what the Dodgers will do. Besides the players still Need to produce and so far the Dodgers opposition in the post season were the ones that has produced!
Why!Both May and Gonsolin are better than him.He’s on the downhill,not worth it.
Wait – first Joe F’ing Kelly who drilled Hanley (and cost the Dodgers a damn good chance at a title) and now this. No freaking way. Let’s get our heads out of the spreadsheets and respect the rivalry. I’m not into the warm and fuzzes between Farhan and Andrew.
He is on the downside of his career and that is too much $$$. I would rather see Ryu return for the same amount.
Everyone who thinks MadBum will help the team he hates is an idiot. There is no one worse we could add to this team.
Imagine the intense energy in the dugout during a back to back Kershaw/Madbum start… or better yet… a Doubleheader with those two starting. That type of energy could power Downtown LA, I think.
MadBum? No way! This is my first ever in my life post on any subject. I have to speak up here. I already postponed my advance purchase of 2020 mini plan waiting to see what moves Dodgers will make. So far a big nothing. Padres are looking real good to me, I went to college down there 50 years ago, lived there awhile and followed SD then. Looks like it’s time to go back, Amtrak tickets maybe my future.
Padres will win it all before the Dodgers. Some fans like to arrogantly scoff at that idea because they fully buy into the ownerships narrative that their sh*t don’t stink and that their players who have never won it all are the greatest ever but it’s not true we have simply taken advantage of a very weak division
Unfortunately I think the Padres are closer than most.
Bumgarner would never give less than his best. He is a professional. If anything, if he signed with LA he would work overtime to see that SF regretted not keeping him after he acknowledged he wanted to return. I would see him being a much more motivated pitcher in LA at this point. In SF he really doesn’t have a lot left to prove. In LA he’d have a real chance to be in a playoff race and possibly be the difference maker. SF is going nowhere this year!
I don’t think that the Madison Bumgarner of 2019-2020 is anywhere near a $20 million per year pitcher. I never have liked him, primarily because he was a Giant, arrogant and obnoxious, but also because he was good, the keyword being “WAS”. The bottom line, he could possibly help at a significantly lower salary. I would rather see the big money allocated toward trading for a “big money, prime time” player. I wouldn’t take the chance on him unless it is at a real bargain price.
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Look Kershaw will Not deliver a World Series title. The Dodgers can win the 2020 NL-West but the playoffs as we have all seen is a different animal.
I don’t have a problem with Bumgarner at all. If he comes to win, which he will, it is only a plus. Yes, he will be more expensive than he is worth for the 162, But right now, who would you rather see in a game seven, Kershaw or Bumgarner? Yes, 2014 was a long time ago. But 2019 was just the other day. I also question whether Kershaw is truly a #2 any more. By the end of the year, he was behind Buehler and Ryu. Let’s imagine it’s 1956. Sal :The Barber” Maglie, the most hated Giant, is traded to the Dodgers and leads them into the 1956 WS. He wins one game and would have one a second (leading to the title) if it weren’t for Don Larsen. Plus he taught Don Drysdale how to brush back hitters. It’s a win-win.
It’s a team sport. Takes more than one guy to win. So why don’t we stop blaming Kershaw for the teams weaknesses in the postseason that date back to 2013. Weak pen, weak offense year after year. Some years barely having 3 heathy starting pitchers. I know it’s been easy to blame Kershaw. Fans and media alike. But it’s foolish and lazy. In 15 of kershaw’s 25 postseasons starts he has given up 3 or fewer runs. Those games count. They matter. And when your team goes 1-3 when you give up 3 runs, well those are winnable games. It matters that he doesn’t get run support. It matters that he has to go back out in the 7th on short rest because management doesn’t trust the pen. It’s not one guy on an island 60’ from home. The whole team matters!
When you make the salary Kershaw makes, expectations(at least for me) are through the roof. I know two words “legacy contract” or is it an albatross of a contract.
Look deeper. The timing of those runs were horrible most of the time. The 3 in game 4 of the 2014 nlds all came in the 7th inning when we had a 2-0 lead facing elimination. Gotta be clutch there. Game 1 against the Mets in 2015 1-1 game in the 7th he departs leaving a mess behind (no clutch) and those runs came in but as usual he puts a reliever in an extremely difficult spot by falling apart in the 7th. Game 6 2016 nlcs facing elimination he puts the team in a hole immediately setting the tone for the rest of the game ends up giving up 5. What about the 7 runs he was given in Houston? Maybe they cheated but what about against Boston? Game 1 meltdown and game 5 facing elimination puts the team in a hole early and gives up more later
Looking deeper means looking at why CK has been stretched in these games in the first place. Not just recounting what happened in the 7th and saying he wasn’t clutch. We can all go back and look at what happened and when it happened and decide to blame him for the teams overall weaknesses without assessing the big picture. Kershaw got 0 run support in 2 games pitched in the 2013 series against the Cardinals. So who is putting the team in a hole? The last game of the series would be the 4th time they would see him that year. Should we be surprised that they broke thru against him after a critical dodger 1-0 loss in his game two on an unearned run. This Narrative started in 2013. Go back and look at what he did in 2013. Look at all of it including the 236 regular season innings he pitched and the fact that the dodgers lost his two regular season games against the Cards. Look at innings and pitch counts, pitching on short rest in Atlanta…It all matters. The body is human As for 2014, do you think Kershaw should have gone back out in game 1 after giving up a HR in the 6th? Remember, Wainright was long gone from a game they pitched in August heat. It was clear to everyone in my house that is was time to go to the pen. On short rest in game 4 should he have been sent back out for the 7th? If we had a guy we could trust coming out of the pen, wouldn’t that be the best move instead of sending CK back out to face the cards hitters for a 3rd time? 6 shut out innings on short rest is a job very well done. Being clutch isn’t magic. It’s not something athletes just have or do. Conditions matter. Team matters. And of course ability matters. Understanding what your guy has done over the course of the whole season should impact the decision making just as much as what is happening in any given playoff game. The path to improvement is understanding all of the factors that contribute to success or failure. Kershaw has been pitching under the cloud of this narrative for years. It’s absurd that it started in 2013. Now, after amassing near 2,300 regular season innings and enduring back injuries he is not the same guy. You know which top tier pitcher in the game now had that many innings at 31? None…not even close. But he still gave us a chance to win in game 2 against the Nats. A game that started for him with “Turner doubles to third base.” Looks like a line drive in the box score. 2017 game 5 in Houston against Kershaw the Astros were 0-9 in the first 3 innings. Kershaw was stellar in both appearances in LA. Cheating? Who knows. Every pitcher got hit hard that night on both sides. But I guess that was Kershaw’s fault too.
I Hate Bumm in a Giants Uniform! I would Love Bumm in a Dodgers Uniform. Number 40 is open, just think Dodgers sign Ryu too, Kershaw will be the number 4 starter…… Not a bad starting four!
If we add clevinger and Lindor, we would lose may. If Mad bum is serious about joining the Dodgers, it is because he is so competitive, he puts titles first! Let’s make that trade and sign mad bum! I wonder if Cleveland has a RP we could poach too?
Think of buehler Kershaw clevinger mad bum and then gonsolin or urias? What a solid group!
Need to eon WS. I would love Lindor at ss Seager at 2b Muncy at 4b and Tur,ner at 2b.
– RYU? Yes.
– Bumgarner? Definitely no. He’s not the same pitcher as his glory days.
We already have the past his prime Kershaw, who will get hammered in 2020, we don’t need another.
LA has great young pitchers, we shouldn’t blow it by wasting cash and starts on over the hill Bumgarner.
We can’t let this happen. Do you know what Giants fans will say if Dodgers win a WS with Bum? It took a Giant to make Dodgers Champs,etc…etc…etc….as a lifelong Dodgers fan, NO! Don’t bring him. It reminds me of when Payton and Malone joined Pakers in their last year… I hated those guys and I never rooted for them even on the Lakers! I won’t root for Bum on the Dodgers. He ain’t one of us.