Philadelphia Phillies: 10 players to keep eye on during 2018 Winter Meetings

9. Madison Bumgarner

Back at the end of November, Madison Bumgarner was another pitcher linked to the Phillies as a potential trade target when seeing how the San Francisco Giants are exploring options with the star pitcher.

A few years ago, acquiring Bumgarner at the right price would seem like a no brainer for a team like Philadelphia when seeing how he was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, but things have changed over the last two years.

Since 2017, Bumgarner’s 10-16 record shows why teams aren’t jumping at the opportunity to do whatever it takes to land the Giants pitcher, although this doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t return to his form from a few years ago.

Just the thought of the old Bumgarner joining a rotation already consisting of Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta would put a smile on the face of any Phillies fan.

Bumgarner may seem like a risk when looking at the last two seasons, but also Philadelphia knows he’s an experienced pitcher who knows what it takes to win a World Series, which could come in handy down the road.

Bumgarner may seem like a long shot at the moment since he would have to come on board through a trade, but isn’t that part of the excitement when it comes to the Winter Meetings?