With the San Francisco Giants not likely to figure into the postseason picture this season and ace Madison Bumgarner set to reach free agency this winter, there is a good chance he is wearing a different uniform by the time the July 31 trade deadline passes.
The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their last series against their rival until September on Thursday night, which means that Bumgarner may have pitched against them while in a Giants uniform for the final time.
“For me, for the Dodger fans and players, to potentially see that and hear that, I’m guessing it’s going to be emotional for him because he’s meant a lot to this rivalry,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
“And he’s enhanced it as far as compete, raising the levels for both sides. There’s been a lot of shirts that have come about because of Bum, so that’s a good thing as well. I expect him to come out and be his best. Whatever happens, it’s always good to compete against the best, and you can’t argue against what he’s done for that organization.”
Bumgarner has had his fair share of disagreements with Dodgers players over the years, most notably Yasiel Puig, and now Max Muncy after his admiration for a home run during a recent series at Oracle Park agitated the left-hander.
Bumgarner shouted and pointed for Muncy to run, and he comically responded by telling him to ‘go get it out of the ocean.’
Bumgarner’s likely final start against the Dodgers as a member of the Giants did not go well. His new nemesis, Muncy, got the scoring started with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning.
The Dodgers wound up roughing up Bumgarner for 10 hits and six runs in 3.2 innings, marking the first time he allowed six runs in a start at Dodger Stadium. The outing was Bumgarner’s shortest since only going three innings during a start in April 2015.
Bumgarner is in the midst of perhaps his worst season, so it will be interesting to see what his trade market will look like considering he would likely just be a rental. He does have a history of performing well in the postseason, which could be a nice boost for a contending team.
