San Francisco Giants: Top 5 teams targeting Madison Bumgarner
1. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves love their recent, former-Giants. They acquired Mark Melancon this past deadline. They paid Will Smith to be their set-up man.
Madison Bumgarner could be the next name added to that list.
There’s no denying the talent oozing from the Braves’ roster. They’re loaded and they’re going to remain loaded for the foreseeable future. You can throw out their disappointing postseason.
They’ll be back in the dance.
They recognize this and have been doing their best to bolster their pitching staff already by ironing out the back end of the pen and coming to terms with a one-year, $18 million deal for Cole Hamels.
He joins a rotation that saw the breakout of future ace Mike Soroka and two more quality pitchers in Max Fried and Mike Foltynewicz.
Some may think that they’re done, but I wouldn’t be so sure.
Remember, Madison Bumgarner’s three major draws this offseason will be being on a team that can compete, getting the money he’s worth, and moving closer to home.
Atlanta, in this case, is the tarheel’s home — at least according to insider Jon Paul Morosi.
"“I’ve been told by multiple people who know him a lot better than I know him who say he wants to sign back home – and ‘back home’ is Atlanta…in terms of being as close to home as he can be – that is where he would love to be and you consider…that’s a very good team.”"
The Braves have freed up some salary after Josh Donaldson and Dallas Keuchel have come off the books. It’s not completely out of the question that they re-sign, but it seems they’re moving on.
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The Braves represent the perfect mixture of what Bumgarner would be looking for when it comes to finding a place to finish his career.
He would have legitimate shots at contending for more World Series rings — something that could solidify a Hall of Fame career for him. He would become the wise veteran who could mold so many young guys bursting at the seams with talent.
Bumgarner’s North Carolina roots serve as the icing on the cake to make this deal work.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves have to come back this season with serious intentions of making a full run into the playoffs.
As the NL East continues to get stronger and stronger, the Atlanta Braves have to keep pace. If the Washington Nationals don’t completely implode and lose out on both of their stars, then the Braves will have to match that offseason spending.
The Braves have shown what a hometown hero’s welcome can do for an aging star like Josh Donaldson.
Next. San Francisco Giants: 3 realistic, low-profile free agent targets. dark
Madison Bumgarner could be next. And he could cement himself as a legend on both sides of the continental United States in the process.