Bumgarner: Biggest news is no news — lefty remains in orange & black

Giants fans who wanted Madison Bumgarner to remain in San Francisco celebrated.

Giants fans who wanted Bumgarner traded for future considerations mourned.

We’re guessing there was far more celebrating than mourning.

Wednesday’s trade deadline passed, and Bumgarner went nowhere. He remained in Philadelphia with the only bigleague team he has known, and he’s scheduled to start for the Giants in Colorado on Saturday.

The franchise’s biggest trade since Matt Williams in 1996, maybe even Willie Mays in 1972, did not go down.

“Hallelujah,” we hear from a large segment of the Giants’ fans, still believing Bumgarner can make one more glorious run through October.

“Ah hell,” we hear from others who think a Bumgarner trade could have brought a significant package of players to accelerate the rebuilding process.

Farhan Zaidi, the firstyear president of baseball operations who was hired to turn around a team that finished last in 2017 and fourth in 2018, had much to weigh when considering a

Bumgarner trade.

What the pitcher could draw in return. His value to a team that climbed into the wildcard race. Manager Bruce Bochy’s farewell season.

No doubt Zaidi could have pulled the trigger, but it would have meant giving up on 2019. The Yankees were desperate for a starting pitcher and would have loved to add someone with Bumgarner’s postseason pedigree.

Instead, Zaidi stood pat, and he seemed as thrilled as Bochy and the players that Bumgarner’s still in orange and black.

“He’s the ultimate competitor and the kind of leader that when he’s on your side, you always feel you have a chance,” Zaidi said after the deadline. “If you’re an underdog, a wild card, if you’re eight games back in the standings, or two games back, when you have a guy who’s done what he’s done, and led the way he’s led, he makes you feel that you always have a chance.

“I know the guys are excited he’s still got the uniform on his back.”

Despite widespread speculation in recent months and reported interest from several teams beyond the Yankees, including the Astros, Braves, Brewers and Twins, Bumgarner will be with the Giants through the rest of his contract, which expires after the season.

He’ll then be a free agent, and the Giants will give him a qualifying offer and gain a compensatory draft pick if he signs with another team.

Can he resign with the Giants? It’s possible, but there have been no negotiations to date. Plus, the Giants already have several highpriced players in their 30s making big money, and giving another longterm contract to a pitcher in his 30s is not how teams rebuild.

The 2014 World Series MVP was going to play out his contract somewhere, and now Giants fans can rejoice that he’s doing it in a Giants uniform. At least those who didn’t want him traded.

Bumgarner has a 2.51 ERA over his past seven starts, and the Giants’ July record before the deadline was 186. Zaidi said amid the trade buzz, the lefty was a “huge tonesetter for our clubhouse, for the organization” and gives Bochy flexibility with his bullpen on days Bumgarner doesn’t pitch, knowing the lefty usually pitches deep into games every fifth day.

Zaidi was asked if he was concerned with the clubhouse and fan fallout if he had traded Bumgarner. Indeed, it could have been a publicrelations nightmare to move someone who helped deliver the organization three World Series titles.

Zaidi almost took offense to the questioning.

“The notion that we’d be worried about the reaction in the clubhouse … well, I mean, we’re up here in the front office, we want to win games, too,” he said. “I don’t think it’s fair to portray it as, ‘Well, how would (players) feel versus the front office?’ We’re kind of all in this together.”

Zaidi’s plan was to deal from a position of strength, the bullpen, while considering not just the short term, including the playoff push, but the long term.

He traded bigleague relievers Sam Dyson, Mark Melancon and Drew Pomeranz, plus Ray Black (who appeared in 28 Giants games in recent years) along with minorleague pitcher Jacob Lopez for seven prospects, including possible second baseman of the future Mauricio Dubon, plus second baseman Scooter Gennett, who’ll be joining the bigleague club.

Zaidi also saved a ton of money, stunningly, by getting the Braves to take the rest of Melancon’s contract.

All significant deals to various degrees. But the big news for many Giants fans was a nontrade. Madison Bumgarner is staying put, and for most fans, all is right with the world.