San Francisco Giants: Top 5 teams targeting Madison Bumgarner
2. Cincinnati Reds
There might be a couple of teams that would be afraid of signing Madison Bumgarner based solely on the cost of giving up draft compensation. The Cincinnati Reds are not one of those teams.
They’ve been connected to several players who rejected qualifying offers, including both Bumgarner and Marcell Ozuna.
Beyond that, they’ve shown that they’re serious about contending now.
There have been several players that the Reds have chosen to hold onto through the trade deadline that had fans scratching their heads and thinking that Cincinnati was missing an opportunity to capitalize on selling assets.
Now, after unleashing Aristides Aquino onto the league, signing Mike Moustakas, and trading for Trevor Bauer, the Reds look like a legitimately good team that is serious about contending now.
Even with the press that the team is starting to get as a result of being buyers this offseason, the team is loaded with underrated talent.
Eugenio Suarez should be a household name. He crushed 49 home runs last season and is only entering his prime. Guys like Nick Senzel and even the all-time consistent Joey Votto continue to go unnoticed.
Bumgarner, if picked up by the Reds, would join Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer, and Sonny Gray to solidify an already great, young staff. This is a situation where Bumgarner might not even be the ace.
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It’d be interesting to see how Bumgarner fairs pitching in the launching pad that is the Great American ballpark.
We’ve seen Bumgarner’s home run numbers creep up a bit as his velocity has dropped, and he won’t be able to depend on the marine layer to keep balls in the park if he heads to the Midwest.
The fit here is undeniable. It’s a young, talented team that’s willing to go for it right now. They’ve proven that they’re serious by getting out in front with the Moustakas signing. There are plenty more dominoes to fall.
The Reds are a piece or two away from elevating themselves to NL Central favorites.
They realize that, and that’s why they’re interjecting themselves into the mix for Bumgarner. Don’t be surprised if they make a serious offer for him before anyone else can even finish negotiating.