Madison Bumgarner is still the San Francisco Giants Ace

The San Francisco Giants offseason is ending with a flurry of moves. There are lots of new faces in camp this year competing for spots to round out the back-end of the roster, and there will be a revolving door of personnel coming and going to fill out roster spots 22-25 throughout the season.

The main storyline for the 2019 season will be the performance of the man who arguably occupies the number 1 spot on the San Francisco Giants roster. Madison Bumgarner has a lot to prove in 2019. The main thing that Bumgarner has to prove this year as that he is still an ace. He is still an ace, by the way.

A return to form for Bumgarner will mean a lot for the Giants’ future. On one hand, Bumgarner, who has been the subject of trade rumors all off-season, will have the opportunity to show what he could be worth in terms of a return. On the other hand, he could also reveal to Farhan Zaidi what he could be worth if Zaidi were to extend him and lock him in to remain a #ForeverGiant.

Considering the free agent market of the past two seasons, there is a chance Bumgarner would prefer to sign an extension rather than test the uncertain waters of free agency. There are valid arguments for both sides. Personally, I believe that it might be in the Giants best interest to try to extend their franchise pitcher while the free agent market is volatile and Bumgarner’s most recent performance is based on of two half seasons marred by freak injuries.

It’s a perfect storm for a GM who seems reluctant to spend big bucks, yet is eager to win over his new fan base. The main argument I would make for trying to extend Bumgarner now is because I believe that he will do more than just return to form; he will evolve.