Madison Bumgarner cares deeply for Giants, doesn't give 'a s—' about trade rumors

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SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner would have scowled at the trade questions regardless of their context. He’s never enjoyed the transactional conversations that have become commonplace since the middle of last season.

But because of how he performed Thursday night, and how the Giants have played recently, his defiant reaction perhaps held more weight.

“I don’t give a s---,” Bumgarner told reporters of rumors that he would be dealt before the July 31 deadline. “I’m going out there to win games for this team.”

He’d just pitched nine innings of one-run ball. His team has surged since the All-Star break, beating the Mets 3-2 on Thursday to keep just 2 1/2 games behind the second wild card spot. The latest victory was earned in the 16th inning, when Donovan Solano hit a walk-off single to right field.

Bumgarner, then, has reason in his mind to believe he can stick with the Giants past the approaching deadline. He wasn’t being prickly for the sake of being prickly.

San Francisco (48-49) is still widely expected to dismantle its roster by July 31 regardless of its nine wins in 10 games, but its efforts of late, Thursday included, could make the decision to unload veterans tougher for the front office. It has also made a stretch once dreaded within the clubhouse more enjoyable and at least enabled mainstays such as Bumgarner and manager Bruce Bochy to keep competing like they’re wired to do.

“Who knows what’s going to happen?” Bochy said of the upcoming two weeks. “I have no reason to think this is going to be a different team (after the deadline). It could be, those aren’t my decisions. … Right now, Madison is with us. That’s the way I see it.”

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It’s worth noting the Giants were 50-47 at this point last season, just four games out of a playoff spot. They didn’t ship away significant pieces before the non-waiver deadline. They finished 73-89, a warning for what misplaced confidence can reap.

It’s also worth noting what Bumgarner could command on the trade market even as a rental: likely at least one top-tier prospect in the upper-minors, and perhaps even more. It would almost certainly help the future of the franchise to make an exchange now instead of potentially losing its ace for nothing to free agency this offseason. 

If there were ever someone to execute a shrewd move that would crush the clubhouse and fan base in favor of greater success at a later date, it would probably be president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who has found success throughout his career by being practical and unmoved by sentimental factors.

But this isn’t a typical break up.

Bumgarner, pitching with the knowledge that this might be his final outing in San Francisco, received a sustained ovation after finishing the ninth. Fans understood his uncertain status and sought to recognize the pitcher’s playoff heroics for the franchise since 2010, which led to three World Series titles.

“It means a lot,” Bumgarner said of the moment. “We’ve been through a lot here, and I’ve been here for a long time. It was special.”

Bumgarner could start early next week at home against the Cubs if he's still with the team. After that, the Giants will leave San Francisco for trips to San Diego and Philadelphia, not playing at Oracle Park again until after the deadline.

The ace is doing what he can to keep the embers glowing for the Giants.

Having already gone nine innings for the first time since 2016 on Thursday, Bumgarner did his best to convince Bochy to let him go back out to the mound for the 10th. Bumgarner wanted to preserve San Francisco's bullpen for the rest of the series.

“I didn’t try to make it much of a conversation,” Bumgarner said. “But he wasn’t having it. Usually if I want to I can get my way with him, but he wasn’t having it today.”

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Bumgarner and Bochy, of course, are key fixtures to the Giants' success this decade. They have a rapport few other pitcher-manager connections share. In addition to catcher Buster Posey, they've been capable clubhouse leaders and spokesmen for San Francisco baseball for ages.

The organization no longer belongs to its elder statesmen, though. Bochy will retire after the season, and Bumgarner remains on the trade block for now. Posey, locked into a long-term contract, is not the offensive force he once was. Zaidi calls the shots.

There are two weeks for the old guard to improbably buy itself one last stretch run. They don't give a s--- about anything else.

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