SAN FRANCISCO – Madison Bumgarner has received a $17.8 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants, a move that likely will decrease demand for him in the free-agent market.
San Francisco’s decision Monday means a team signing Bumgarner would lose at least one pick in next year’s amateur draft as compensation unless a deal is struck after the draft starts in June. Compensation caused pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel to wait until after the draft to sign 2019 contracts.
Bumgarner, the 2014 World Series MVP, all but said his goodbye to San Francisco on the season’s final day.
He didn’t pitch Sept. 29 as originally planned in a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers on the last day of the regular season and manager Bruce Bochy’s final game leading into retirement but drew a rousing standing ovation before lining out as a pinch hitter with two outs in the fifth against Clayton Kershaw.
San Francisco’s big lefty tipped and waved his batting helmet in every direction to acknowledge the fans in what might have been his last hurrah a Giants uniform. He went 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA over 34 starts this year after two injury-shortened seasons.
Bumgarner, 30, wrapped up a $35.56 million, six-year contract signed in April 2012 that included $12 million club options for both 2018 and ’19. The Giants opted not to deal him at the trade deadline.
In other MLB news, the Los Angeles Angels have declined their $14 million contract option for next season on longtime right fielder Kole Calhoun.
The Angels announced the move Monday. Calhoun gets a $1 million buyout as part of his $26 million, three-year contract and becomes a free agent for the first time.
The 32-year-old has spent his entire career with the Angels, who drafted him in the eighth round in 2010 out of Arizona State.
Calhoun first cracked the Angels’ big league roster in 2012, and he has spent most of the past six seasons as their right fielder. He won a Gold Glove in 2015.
Calhoun hit a career-best 33 homers last season while batting .232 with 74 RBIs. He has 884 hits, including 140 homers.
Also, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien are finalists for the AL MVP award.
Trout is seeking his third MVP after winning in 2014 and ’16. He finished second in 2012, ’13, ’15 and ’18.
Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger and Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich are the top three for the NL honor.
Yelich won last year’s NL MVP award with 29 of 30 first-place votes.
Houston’s Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are finalists for the AL Cy Young Award along with Tampa Bay’s Charlie Morton, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America said Monday. Verlander won the 2011 Cy Young with Detroit, when he also was voted MVP.
New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award after getting 29 of 30 first-place votes last year. He is competing with Washington’s Max Scherzer and the Dodgers’ Ryu Hyun-jin.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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