Evaluating Madison Bumgarner’s potential landing spots

St. Louis Cardinals

Thanks to a 10-3 run over the last two weeks, manager Mike Shildt’s club has surged past the Brewers in the NL Central. They’re also entering Thursday just a half-game behind the Cubs.

St. Louis’ rotation has dealt with its fair share of inconsistency, as Dakota Hudson is the only hurler with at least 19 starts and an ERA below 4.00 (it’s 3.61). Michael Wacha has bounced back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen, and Carlos Martinez has pitched exclusively as a reliever this year.

The Cardinals are on Bumgarner’s no-trade list, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from scouting and evaluating the left-hander ahead of the deadline. From a logistical standpoint, pursuing this kind of addition makes sense for St. Louis. Since MadBum would be a rental and his peripherals are a little concerning, the cost of acquisition wouldn’t be nearly as high as some of the other available hurlers. And with him being a free agent at the end of this year, it’d allow the Cardinals to maintain some roster and financial flexibility for the future.