Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Twins’ potential targets at the trade deadline
By Chris Schad
3. SP Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants)
On name recognition alone, Bumgarner could be the top option for the Twins. He has plenty of playoff experience with three World Series championships to his name and has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball during this decade. While adding the Giants’ ace would be appealing on paper, the reality is he might not be the Bumgarner that people think of.
In 2019, Bumgarner has been an average pitcher. His 3.86 ERA would be the highest of his career and he hasn’t made an All-Star team since the 2016 season. Mix in a penchant for giving up home runs (his career HR/9 rate is 0.9) and it may seem like the cost just isn’t worth the investment.
If the Twins want to glean some hope from a potential Bumgarner trade, they can look at what the Houston Astros did with Justin Verlander. Just as it seemed like Verlander was on the decline, he was acquired from the Tigers and immediately found himself under the guidance of the Houston coaching staff going 32-13 with a 2.55 ERA in 2+ seasons.
It’s far-fetched to believe that Bumgarner would have the same impact with the Twins, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Pitching coach Wes Anderson has already coaxed a career year out of Odorizzi and his work with Pineda and Perez has also been a part of Minnesota’s success this season. Bumgarner will be a costly rental but could be an asset for the Twins.