Giants exercise Bumgarner’s option

No guarantee for ace to return in 2019

SAN FRANCISCO – In what will go down as one the least surprising moves of the offseason, the Giants announced Monday that they have exercised the 2019 club option on Madison Bumgarner’s contract.

By picking up the option, San Francisco is slated to pay Bumgarner $12 million in 2019 before he’s scheduled to hit free agency next winter.

The Giants also elected to exercise infielder Pablo Sandoval’s club option Monday, giving the team another season of control for the versatile utility player.

Sandoval was one of five Giants reinstated from the 60-day disabled list Monday as San Francisco also moved catcher Buster Posey and pitchers Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Julian Fernández back to the 40-man roster. After Monday’s transactions, the Giants now have 36 players on their 40-man roster.

The Giants and Bumgarner agreed to terms on a five-year, $35 million deal at the beginning the 2012 season when the left-hander had just one full major league season under his belt. The contract included an $11 million team option for 2018 and a $12 million team option for 2019, effectively giving the Giants seven years of control.

Bumgarner’s contract has turned into one of the most team-friendly deals in the free agency era, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll remain with the Giants next season. After back-to-back sub-.500 finishes, the Giants are searching for a new general manager to ignite a turnaround and the team’s ace is one of the few players with strong trade value.

Giants vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said he and CEO Larry Baer would discuss Bumgarner’s future with the franchise during the interview process with general manager candidates this fall. That process remains ongoing, but several teams look-

ple that we have here make this a great place to work,” Forst said, noting his strong relationship with player development specialists Eric Kubota and Keith Lieppman, as well as assistant GM Dan Feinstein. “I’ve been next to Billy for almost 20 years now, but throughout the organization you have people who have been here for a long time and the idea of extending here working with those people for years to come was always what I wanted.”

Beane confirmed original reports from The Chronicle on details of the contracts for both Melvin and Forst. Melvin’s contract has been extended two years, through the 2021 season, in a deal that will pay him around $3.5 million per season, with an option for 2022. Forst got four more years added to his contract, good through 2023.

There was some uncertainty before the seasons surrounding the status of Beane, Forst and Melvin, all of whom had contracts that ended after next season. Tony Rainey – 224 Stan Gryczko Jr. – 619

Larry Foster – 289 Tammie Myers – 236

Carolyn Fagan – 190 Mary Shields – 188

Harvey Robinson – 278 Claudia Warner – 183

Shane Schilperoot – 238 Shelbi Schilperoot – 150

Richard Martinez – 269 Ray Miller– 761 Tiffany Emerson – 638

Barbara Wilson – 491 Mary Shields – 480

Harvey Robinson– 661 Jamie Victor– 491

Scott Cheser – 588 Shelbi Schilperoot – 423

Johnny Jenkins – 662 ing for an established starting pitcher with a strong October track record are expected to inquire about Bumgarner this offseason.

Bumgarner owns a 3.03 ERA through the first 10 seasons of his career, but has built his reputation through dominant postseason outings. In 16 career postseason appearances, Bumgarner has posted a 2.11 ERA in 102 1/3 innings and a 0.25 ERA in five World Series outings.

Despite a dip in his fastball

Ed Martinez – 287 Trinity Russell – 233

Vicky White – 169 Marie Bennett – 165

Ray Miller – 300 Thee Saelim – 289

Stacey Sinegal – 216 Connie Shaft – 115

Ed Martinez – 742 Tina Howelll – 599

Marie Bennett – 451 Vicky White– 449

Steve Krupp – 743 Tim Rottman – 730

Mike Kenney – 404 Nichole Lopez – 222

velocity and significant injuries that forced him to miss time in each of the last two seasons, Bumgarner remains one of the most well-regarded starters in baseball because of the reputation he cultivated during playoff appearances. It’s possible a contender like the New York Yankees or Atlanta Braves could look to deal for Bumgarner this offseason, but if the Giants enter spring training with Bumgarner as their top starter, his name will remain a fixture in discussions through the trade deadline.