Tonight will be the first of probably the last six starts of Madison Bumgarner’s Giants career. At least, it’s theoretically possible that will be the case. If Bumgarner leaves or even if he returns, his next contract figures to be substantially greater than the last one he signed, and not simply because of his World Series heroics from five years ago.
After what looked like an unavoidable physical decline that would lead to nothing but pain and sadness for him and everyone who watched, Bumgarner’s 2019 season has been a fantastic pre-free agency campaign.