Ranking teams that should convince Madison Bumgarner to waive his no-trade clause

7. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs rotation is pretty set at the moment with the exception of the fifth spot. Team officials hope that Yu Darvish is going to bounce back as the season progresses, but there’s no guarantee that will happen.

Even so, Chicago’s current payroll makes it very unlikely they’re going to spend big on a pitcher who would only serve to fortify the back-end of their rotation. This team already has a massive payroll and adding Bumgarner might send their ownership into financial shock.

Cubs officials will also be wary of dealing for Bumgarner only to see him re-sign with San Francisco in the offseason. That’s exactly what happened after they acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees. That move netted Chicago a World Series title, but there’s no guarantee that Bumgarner could deliver the same thing.

Like the Brewers, it’s safe to assume the Cubs will at least call the Giants about their dominating southpaw, but it would be very surprising to see them make a competitive offer to get a trade done. Unless the Cubs suffer a major injury in their rotation, look for them to stay put heading into the postseason.