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MLB free agency 2019: Five potential landing spots for Madison Bumgarner

By Joshua Sadlock

DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 03: Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants throws in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 03, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 03: Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants throws in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 03, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 29: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) is greeted by teammates at the dugout in the ninth inning during Game 6 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros at Nationals Park on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 29: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) is greeted by teammates at the dugout in the ninth inning during Game 6 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros at Nationals Park on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

4. Washington Nationals

When there’s a starting pitcher on the market, the one team that can never be counted out is the Washington Nationals. The Nats emerged out of nowhere last year to land Patrick Corbin as a free agent, even while they were pursuing a huge contract with Bryce Harper. Coming off their first World Series title, expect Washington’s owners to be as ready as ever to continue spending.

The Nationals had a huge free agency decision to address last winter with Harper, but they have two this year. Anthony Rendon gets his first chance to test the open market, while World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg elected to utilize his player option. Both were extremely valuable to the Nationals, and it’s hard to picture them repeating without finding a way to keep both All-Stars.

If push comes to shove, the Nationals absolutely must put more emphasis on re-signing Rendon. Their starting rotation is better set up to absorb the loss of Strasburg than the lineup is to maintain its current levels of production without Rendon. Max Scherzer and Corbin are as good a one-two punch as there is in baseball.

Strasburg’s move to opt out looks more like an effort to find another two years of guaranteed money than an effort to get out of Washington. A reunion does seem likely and would not prevent the Nats from making a big offer to Rendon. In the event that Strasburg does decide he wants to go home to San Diego, the Nationals can fall back to Bumgarner, a proven workhorse with a winning track record in the playoffs.

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