Madison Bumgarner is one of the best players reportedly available ahead of Wednesday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The San Francisco Giants pitcher is drawing interest from multiple teams, including the Houston Astros, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown. The 2017 World Series Champions are looking to add to their already strong pitching lineup, and Bumgarner could be the perfect fit.
Bumgarner reportedly isn’t the only big-name pitcher that Houston is interested in, though.
Hear similar, mainly that #Astros badly want to leave deadline with MadBum, Wheeler or Bauer. That is their primary target list. https://t.co/7eRUOuSmiz
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2019
The Astros sit first in the American League West with a 68-39 record and are neck-and-neck with the American League East-leading New York Yankees for the overall lead in the league. Adding Bumgarner could be a difference-maker in the Astros separating themselves from the Yankees in the standings.
Justin Verlander is Houston’s ace, followed by Gerrit Cole, both of whom are having good years on the mound. Verlander is 13-4 with a 2.86 ERA, while Cole is 12-5 with a 2.94 ERA. Add Bumgarner to that mix and the Astros will be an immensely tough team to beat come October.